Zurich Airport: redevelopment of runway 14/32

Runway 14/32 was put into operation in 1976 and had to be extensively renovated due to the sharp increase in maintenance costs. The challenge was to carry out the work without interrupting flight operations.

As part of a study of variants, various refurbishment options with concrete and asphalt surfacing were examined with complete, partial or no runway closure. The replacement of the most heavily used 22.5 m wide runway center strip without runway closure proved to be the best option, taking into account the many constructional and flight operational constraints. To this end, the previous 30-centimeter-thick concrete pavements were replaced with a new, multi-layer 35-centimeter-thick, low-temperature asphalt surfacing. This was possible in a meticulously timed construction process in 100 nightly construction stages. At the same time, all runway lightning systems and electrical routes were replaced. Every night, up to 100 people with over 90 machines and vehicles were at work to ensure that the runway was ready for air traffic again in the morning.