Wind and rain delay repairs to airport roof

There have been long-running problems with building’s roof panels, and the latest work is aiming to survey the roof and try and solve the problem.

Scaffolding was erected on the terminal in April but the work is taking months to compete

‘The contractor started on the north elevation before moving onto the east and west elevations,’ said Guernsey Ports project manager Joe Armstrong.

‘The contractor has now moved onto the south elevation of the terminal building. The only section left to complete is the central section, by the public entrance.’

While contractors had hoped for dry, calm weather over the summer for the installation, that has not worked out.

‘Prolonged wet weather and high winds over the summer months has proved challenging and this has delayed the completion of the scaffolding erection works,’ Mr Armstrong said.

‘Wet weather can make the roof surfacing very slippery and safe working practices have been prioritised at all times.’

Scaffolding works are expected to be complete by the end of October and the project will then progress into the survey phase. The next step will be the appointment of a surveyor to undertake a full inspection of the roof.

Only once the survey is completed can a repair plan be formulated and a tender process for a suitable contractor be undertaken.

Stage three of the work will be repairs and improvements as required, after which the scaffolding can start to be taken down.

It is believed there is an issue with how the metal roof sheets were riveted to the main roof structure, but this cannot be confirmed until the survey is carried out.

The airport has been staying open as normal during the work, though scaffolding has blocked the views from the terminal windows.

‘The scaffolding has been carefully designed so that it does not interfere in any way with the day-to-day operations of the airport,’ Mr Armstrong said.

‘Since the start of the project, there have been some further improvements to the initial design, which have negated the need for scaffolding to span over the roadway at the front of the terminal building.’

How long the scaffolding remains in place depends on the outcome of the inspection and the time required to undertake any repairs, which is also subject to the availability of contractors.

It is anticipated the scaffolding will eventually be in place for at least 12 months.