Four construction companies have been awarded contracts by the Aecon Group who have already started preliminary work on the new airport terminal.

And more than 50 Bermudians will be employed, according to the Canadian company who will oversee all of the work.

The construction firms named are:

• Bermuda-Caribbean Engineering Consultants Ltd for surveying work.

• R.A. Murray with Correia Construction for supply and trucking of gravel. R.A. Murray will supply gravel and ship it from Canada and, once it arrives in Bermuda, Correia Construction will load and truck it to the airport. This will involve 27 Bermudians working a 15-hour shift for five days. There will be six shipments throughout the project.

• D & J Excavation for excavation work. They will prepare the airport site and access roads and start excavating the foundation of the passenger terminal. This is a three to five-month contract involving 15 Bermudians.

• Aecon (as general contractor) with Correia Construction for pile work. Correia Construction will be unloading piles from the ship onto a barge and transporting them by sea to Marginal Wharf. Correia Construction will also participate in the driving of the piles. This project will involve 10 Bermudians over a five-month period.

According to Aecon, the unloading materials and preparation work started on the weekend.

Frank Ross, Executive Advisor, Aecon Group Inc., Infrastructure, said: “We are now beginning to prepare the airport site for ground breaking and we are delighted to award these four construction contracts. These initial contracts will create immediate employment for more than 50 Bermudians. We are looking forward to getting started on the project with our Bermudian partners.”

The airport will take 40 months to build, said Aecon, and will be finished in 2020.

“Throughout construction, Aecon will notify the public of construction activities that may affect people travelling to the airport,” said a statement.

“The redevelopment of L.F. Wade International Airport is being advanced under an agreement between the Governments of Canada and Bermuda. The Canadian Commercial Corporation (CCC) is a Crown Corporation for the Government of Canada and brings expertise in international contracting for complex purchases and the experience to select highly capable suppliers, such as Aecon. More updates about the L.F. Wade International Airport redevelopment project can be found at www.skyport.bm and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BermudaSkyport.