REHABILITATION work on the runway of the Sangster International Airport will begin in January.

MBJ Airports limited signed a contract yesterday for the rehabilitation work valued at US$18.9 million ($1.7 billion) with Jamaican company, Surrey Paving and Canadian-based IDL Projects and Belvedere Place Development.

The companies have formed one group, SBI, to carry out the work that will last for six to eight months, said Elizabeth Brown-Scotton, chief commercial officer of MBJ Airports Limited.

“The runway will not be made any longer, but an overlay and rehabilitation work will be done,” she said.

No work has been done on the runway for quite some time, Brown-Scotton said.

The work will be done at night between 10:00 pm and 6:00 am. This means the last flight to depart the Montego Bay airport when work starts will be 9:40 pm.

No fewer flights will leave; instead, airlines will make time adjustments, Brown-Scotton said. “American Airlines, US Airways and Transair would have been affected by the work, but were advised 18 months ago about the project,” she said.

The Canadian companies will carry out Engineering and construction work, while Surrey Paving will supply the equipment and provide the workers.

During the period, between 70 and 80 workers will be permanently employed by the Jamaican company.

The runway is 8,200 feet long.

Earlier this year, MBJ Airports sought loan financing for the project, which was projected to cost US$22.4 million.

Construction was scheduled to start September 2012 and was expected to last eight months.

The additional safety features include the relocation of the fire hall and new trucks.

Overall, MBJ — which is owned 74.5 per cent by Desarrollo de Concesiones Aeroportuarias SA (DCA), a subsidiary of Spanish infrastructure group, Abertis, and 25.5 per cent by Vantage Airport Group of Canada — spent US$180 million upgrading the airport since 2003.