In its “shovel-ready” proposal for a third runway announced on August 1, Heathrow says a new road tunnel, along with two parkways and improvements to the bus and coach station, will make it easier to access the airport.
The blueprint submitted to the government includes a north-western runway up to 3,500m long – a design that already has Parliamentary support; increased capacity to serve up to 756,000 flights and 150 million passengers; and a new terminal ‘T5X’, expansion of Terminal 2 and three new satellite terminals.
The £48bn price tag for the privately-financed investment comprises £21bn for the new runway and airfield infrastructure, which includes realignment of the M25; £12bn for new terminal and stand capacity; and £15bn for modernising the current airport through expanding Terminal 2 and ultimately closing Terminal 3.
The government will give feedback on the proposals next month.
