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Customer: Department of Port Administration Contract: Construct Location: American Samoa   |
Fast Facts:
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Our American Samoa team completed the contract to resurface and rehabilitate the asphalt pavement on the primary runway at Pago Pago International Airport in mid-2025.
This is the ninth project the team has completed in the last 16 years we've been working on upgrades at the Pago Pago International Airport. Other recent projects include Stage One of Runway 5-23, upgrading 915 m (3,000 feet) of the runway completed in 2018, and the Apron Rehabilitation Project, completed in 2020. The runway updates carried out between October 2023 and May 2025, were delivered on time and on budget, improving the long-term durability and safety of the runway.
The work included
- removing old pavement,
- grooving the runway
- coating paving in the turnaround areas.
- relocating the segmented circle and lighted wind cone,
- line marking,
- electrical work,
- reshaping peripheral land
- and extending the perimeter security fence.
McConnell Dowell's purpose is to 'Provide a Better Life' for communities, so we work sustainably wherever possible. On this project, we recycled old materials wherever possible, including reusing old millings from the pavement upgrade.
The old pavement was removed, crushed, and reused as aggregate in the base course of the runway, a cost-effective solution that diverted waste from landfill, and reduced the project's carbon footprint.
When we reshaped the land around the airport periphery, we screened and reused the topsoil to “dress” the sides of the runway, reducing the need to import extra topsoil and diverting material from landfill.
Quality is also a priority for the team in American Samoa. We manage the supply chain from quarry to batching to installation, ensuring the best quality at each stage. Our on-island batching facility has a maximum capacity of 800 tonnes per day and produced all the asphalt for the project.
Specialist equipment such as the Material Transfer Vehicle (MTV) was also used on the project to deliver superior results for the client and customer. The MTV feeds asphalt steadily from truck to paver, providing a consistent supply of material. Maintaining a uniform spread provides the best quality of the pavement surface to ensure the best runway performance and ultimately a smooth ride for the customer.
The programme was carefully planned and coordinated with airlines, airport users, and the funder US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), to minimise disruption to customers.
