'Eagles' return to improved nest Published July 20, 2011 By Senior Airman David Dobrydney 48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England -- Following nearly a month of work, the third and final phase of an $11 million dollar runway renovation project was completed July 18, 2011. "The overall objective of these projects [was] to increase the operational life of the runway for a further 10-15 years," said Victoria Stayton, 48th Civil Engineer Squadron project manager. The runway was originally one of three wartime runways constructed in 1941. The runway became operational in January 1942. The majority of the existing layout was established following major reconstruction completed between 1945 and 1955. Prior to the start of the project, the runway was showing its age and beginning to cause foreign object damage to aircraft. Renovating the runway yielded two benefits. "The load bearing capacity of the overrun was increased to support aircraft weights. The runway edge surfaces were also upgraded to address pavement cracks, which allowed moisture to seep below the surface thus deteriorating the runway sub-base," said Tech. Sgt. Carlos Spells, 48th Operations Support Squadron Airfield Management Operations NCO in charge. The project also extended the runway's overrun to 1,000 feet. "This improvement provided additional aircraft stopping distance therefore increasing safety for aircraft on landing," said Spells. Philip Sparrow, project sponsor for Defence Infrastructure Organization, the contractor performing the construction work, said the original intent was for re-surfacing the entire runway at once. However, this plan cost an estimated $25 million and would have required a construction window of six months. To avoid making the runway unusable for an extended time, the project was divided into three phases spanning three years beginning in 2009. The first phase consisted of repairing cracks over one half of the runway, the second repeated the process on the other half, and resurfacing the runway and shoulders was the third. All told, the project saved $14 million and lasted 76 days in total. "Overall, the improvements will provide a safe environment to sustain current operations and secure future mission capability," said Spells.