Ferrovial has introduced autonomous machinery for the first time on an airport runway build, using three adapted compaction rollers at Rafael Hernández International Airport in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. The $239 million project is being delivered without interrupting airport operations, with one operator supervising the machines during work on the new 3,350-metre runway.
The rollers perform repeated passes within a defined area on planned trajectories, while AI-powered vision and obstacle detection allow them to stop automatically if people or vehicles enter the work zone. Ferrovial’s Construction unit describes the setup as a way to improve productivity by reducing downtime and to tighten control during compaction. The runway is 46 metres wide.
The deployment is notable for combining autonomy with live airport operations, where construction activity must be carefully managed around existing air traffic and ground movement. It also reduces the machine-to-operator ratio, allowing a single person to oversee multiple units at once, which may support future airport infrastructure work with similar operating constraints.