Leighton Holdings’ Brisbane Airport Link toll road project two months behind schedule

Leighton Holdings (ASX: LEI) says the completion date for Brisbane’s Airport Link toll road has been pushed back by approximately two months.

Leighton, which owns the companies building the project, said it had made allowances for schedule changes and the delay would not impact on its profit guidance for 2012.

Leighton Holding’s Thiess John Holland (TJH) joint venture completed a detailed review of the integrated commissioning activities and productivities to date on the Airport Link Project.

Leighton said in a statement the Airport Link should be open on August 20.

The road was previously forecast to open on June 30.

Leighton CEO Hamish Tyrwhitt said major construction work was expected to conclude in June, but the mechanical and electrical fit-out, testing and commissioning, would still need to be completed.

“The construction elements of the project will be completed in line with our expectations with final commissioning and safety testing programmed to be completed through July,” Tyrwhitt said in the statement.

“More than half of the tunnel is now in the commissioning stage with the testing of services including lights, fans, surveillance, fire deluge and ventilation systems, and tolling systems underway,” he said.

“The commissioning involves around 12,000 individual tests and TJH has completed some 7,000 of these so far. While remaining commissioning activities are complex, we are anticipating that the final tests will be completed in July allowing the road to then be opened to traffic in August.”