Design, Construction and Maintenance of Torrijos Airport

Abstract

In 1970, the Direccion de Aercmautica Civil (DAC) of the Republic of Panama realized that its facilities at Tocumen International Airport could not accommodate the heavy jumbo jet traffic of world airlines using the airport as a stop on routes between cities in North and South America. The existing single runway, built in 1933–34, was of inadequate pavement thinkness, lacked modern lighting and instrumentation services, and badly needed improvement in surface and subdrainage to relieve hydroplaning and pavement pumping In 1972, the DAC implemented the final design and construction of a second parallel runway and new modern passenger terminal in accordance with its master plan, prepared by The Ralph M. Parsons Company. Design and construction problems were successfully surmounted, resulting in extremely low‐cost maintenance programs and highly satisfactory service conditions of the new runways, taxiways, apron area and terminal of the now‐named General Omar Torrijos International Airport.