The PDX North Runway Extension Project began in May 2009.
Since then, the north runway has been closed to all air traffic during runway construction. Larger aircraft have been using the south runway, and smaller aircraft have been using the crosswind runway. The increase in the usage on the south and crosswind runways is temporary. Normal flight operations are scheduled to resume in November once the summer construction is complete and the north runway is reopened.
Rehabilitating and extending a runway requires a lot of work! Below are the project highlights thus far:
- The asphalt on the existing runway has been ground up and removed.
- The runway and taxiways have been resurfaced with new asphalt and are being re-striped.
- Airfield lighting is being restored.
- Large piles of heavy dirt called surcharge have been added to the ends of the runway to compress the ground in preparation for next summer. That’s when additional construction will extend the runway. The perimeter road around the airfield has been moved to accommodate the longer runway and is now complete.
The final elements of this summer’s work include removing the piles of surcharge and relocating some of the navigational aids. Once complete, the runway will be reopened for flight traffic until spring 2010, when the second phase of the project will begin – extending each end of the runway.