The government will spend an additional $3.8 million to finish construction on the Marsh Harbour International Airport by the end of this summer.
Philip Brave Davis, deputy prime minister and the minister of works and urban development, made the announcement this week during a contract signing with local contractors in Abaco.
The airport's estimated $30.8 million price tag also includes additional contingency works.
The Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) has hotly criticized the previous administration for poor management and oversight of the construction process. Back in 2011, the Free National Movement (FNM) signed a $27 million contract to build the terminal.
These latest signings, therefore, represent a cost overrun of nearly $4 million.
"As well, additional works were added including the erection of new directional signs, the installation of approach lights and the installation of runway and taxiway lights," he explained.
The Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation has also contracted Jeppesen Company Limited to develop new flight procedures for the runway to ensure compliance with the International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO) standards.
"During July 2010, The Architects Incorporated out of Freeport, Grand Bahama was awarded a contract to design and prepare construction drawings for a new state-of-the-art terminal, control tower and fire/crash facilities at the airport," he said. "The designs and drawings were completed and a contract was awarded in the fall of 2011 to FES Construction out of Freeport in the sum of $27.3 million to construct the terminal and other facilities."
Works on the Marsh Harbour International Airport originally began in August 2011 and had a scheduled completion date for early October 2012.
"However, there have been numerous design and additional works changes, resulting in a revised completion in August this year," Davis added.
The 51,000-square-foot terminal will include 22 counter positions, a state-of-the-art scanning system, a pilot briefing room, two restaurants, one lounge, one VIP lounge, eight retail shop spaces, two kiosks and long and short-term public parking areas.
The additional works to the terminal, control tower and fire/crash facilities include major statutory utilities upgrades and connections; the installation of an electrical transformer to the main airport terminal and fire crash tower; the installation and expansion of Cable Bahamas for the CCTV network; the redesign and expansion of the security booth to a building located on the entrance road to the control tower and fire/crash facilities, and the construction of a main terminal security booth and additional hi-scan 755i x-ray equipment for the terminal building.
Glenys Hanna-Martin, minister of transport and aviation; Jerome Fitzgerald, minister of education, science and technology; Renardo Curry, parliamentary secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister and Colin Higgs, permanent secretary in the ministry of works and urban development were also present at the signing ceremony.

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