There would be five layers of asphalt in all. Each night, the 25 men in the team shift 1,000 tonnes of asphalt. And each night they erase, or cover, the runway markings with the new tarmac, only to hurriedly repaint them as dawn and reopening draw inexorably nearer. Fortunately, cold weather aids the quick-drying of the asphalt, which has to be ready to receive aircraft up to Boeing 757s within hours of being laid. The whole operation was started at the end of January and should be finished by Easter.
Bad weather can delay the process but so far conditions have been ideal.
Hampshire suppliers include Lafarge Redland Aggregates, ABB Stewart, Concrete Cutters and Jointline. For the workforce, it is an intense time.