Business

Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Leaking pipes under new terminal may delay opening

By: Murray McNeill

Posted: 08/19/2010 1:00 AM | Comments: 0 (including replies)

A construction glitch is threatening to delay the opening of Winnipeg's new airport terminal.

Winnipeg Airports Authority president and CEO Barry Rempel said Wednesday the project's main contractor, Ellis Don Corp., has informed WAA officials that some of the drain pipes under the massive concrete pad on which the terminal was built are leaking at the joints.

"We know it's not just one pipe," Rempel said. "There are several locations around the base of the building."

What they don't know yet -- and probably won't know for about two more weeks -- is exactly how many pipes are leaking, what it's going to take to fix them, and whether the remedial work will delay the opening of the new terminal.

The new terminal is the jewel in the $585-million redevelopment of the airport.

Rempel said WAA officials still hope to have the terminal up and running by early December, before the Christmas travel rush begins.

If it's not ready by then, he said he and the air carriers would rather delay the opening until sometime in the new year to sidestep one of the busiest travel periods of the year. How far into the new year is still up in the air.

Rempel said delaying the opening, even for several months, would not be a problem for the WAA, the air carriers or passengers.

"We're not panicked, because we have a building that's operational," he said of the existing terminal. "So there will be no impact on our customers, on our financial plans or on the air carriers."

He said the carriers weren't planning to add any extra flights when the new terminal opened, so the existing terminal can continue to meet their needs.

Rempel said the only ones who might be inconvenienced are the new food and retail operators, who may not be able to take advantage of the Christmas rush.

But a spokeswoman for The Paradies Shops, a U.S.-based firm that has the master contract for the retail stores in the new terminal, said Paradies officials aren't losing any sleep over a possible delay.

"We're happy to be there, and when they're ready to open for business, we will be too," said Jill Nidiffer, the company's director of marketing and communications.

Rempel said he didn't know how the leaks were discovered, but he assumes it was during tests by the general contractor.

"But when the pipes were installed in 2008, they passed all the tests, so they were installed correctly and were working properly at one point," he said.

He said the pipes under the slab included storm- water and waste-water drains. Rain from the roof runs into the pipes and into a retention pond.

He said the contractor and/or the building's designer, not the WAA, will be responsible for any additional costs associated with correcting the problem.

murray.mcneill@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition August 19, 2010 B5

(You must be logged in to post your reaction)

Your reaction?

More Business

Undock

You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.

The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010; View the changes. New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.