Project management and construction company, Lend Lease, will undertake a major expansion at Sydney Airport in order to better accommodate the rise in traffic, particularly that posed by larger aircraft such as the Airbus A380.

Bovis Lend Lease managing director, Tony Costantino, said while the alliance contract is expected to be undertaken within reasonable hours in order to keep the airport operational, history has shown that such construction contracts can be risky ventures.

Three years ago, Australia's largest development and contract group, Leighton Holdings, were forced to reveal US$110 million in write-downs after experiencing access problems while upgrading Melbourne's Spencer Street Railway Station. This was due to the fact that the trains were still running while the work was being done.