JFK Airport Taxiways A & B Widening

The world’s largest commercial jet is a double-deck, wide-body, four-engine mega airplane.

Having made its first flight in 2005, the huge 853-passenger Airbus 380 required a significantly larger taxiway than other aircraft, which led to the need for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) to upgrade JFK International Airport to accommodate this enormous plane. Alterations included the relocation of Taxiway A North and South, and the rehabilitation of Taxiway B North.

Conti performed the taxiway relocation and rehabilitation to properly land the Airbus 380, all while working at a very active, high security international airport. Under this contact, Taxiway A (75 feet wide) was shifted 16 feet for a total length of over four miles.

The team placed over 90,000 cubic yards of cement-treated base and 208,000 tons of other paving materials while minimizing disruptions to airport operations. Conti batched all cement base on site from recycled millings and Lime Cement Fly Ash (LCF) base material from previous excavations into a sustainable environmentally friendly material called “econocrete”. This approach eliminated the need for 25,000 cubic yards of virgin material and 2,200 truck trips. In addition to saving PANYNJ money, Conti shaved time on the project by producing 1500 yards of the cement-treated base on site per day.

Conti also met stringent FAA runway smoothness standards for the precise quality control specifications of a maximum profile index of 15 inches/mile with no individual deviations greater than 0.4-inches in 25 LF.

Conti’s newly patented “econocrete” technology garnered huge saving for the client and surpassed sustainable goals.