The Civil Engineering Contractor March 2019 | Page 19

Inauguration of the Bohol-Panglao International Airport happened on 27 November 2018.
The Philippine’s much-delayed Bohol-Panglao International
Airport, a project that took all of 18 years starting with its
first feasibility study in 2000, has been completed. The new
gateway replaces the Tagbilaran Airport, which was officially
closed on 27 November 2018.
Its revised target for completion was 2021, with
construction having begun in June 2015, but the process
accumulated up to 48% slippage due to delays. The
old Tagbilaran Airport was too small with no room for
expansion. The new airport has a 2 500m runway and a
passenger terminal capable of handling two million people
annually — more than double the 800 000 annual capacity
Elon Musk, US entrepreneur.
www.civilsonline.co.za
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of the Tagbilaran Airport. It is compatible with international
safety standards.
Japan provided the Philippines with an ODA (official
development assistance) loan amounting to JPY15-billion to
implement the project. The new airport has the benefit of
Japanese design, experience, and technology. They call it an
‘eco airport’ because it is equipped with sustainable features
such as a solar power generation system, highly efficient
light- and air-conditioning system, as well as rainwater
catchment pond, materials recovery facility, soaking yard,
energy-saving air-conditioning systems, management system
for hazardous waste, and a sewage treatment plant.
US (former South African) billionaire
entrepreneur Elon Musk in January unveiled
The Boring Company’s test tunnel of a proposed
underground transportation network across
Los Angeles. Musk says he hoped to alleviate
LA’s “soul-destroying” traffic congestion when
he first mooted his plan to create the tunnel.
He says in tweets that the system would have
“way more capacity, way faster, and way more
convenient” than a subway. “Subways are fine,
but it’s time to upgrade to something better.”
He also agreed with a tweet that if stops were
split off from the main tunnel, and everything is
electronically controlled, you can probably put
one car/second going through the tunnel. That
is 14 000 seats an hour, comparable to many
NYC subway lines. “Custom cars/vehicles with
8–12 seats each could beat any subway. Capable
of traveling safely at over 150mph. At that
speed, it will feel like teleporting within a city.”
CEC March 2019 | 17