Austin-Bergstrom Intl Sees Secondary Runway Closure

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport has extended the closure period for its secondary 9,000-foot Runway 17L/35R, which began on June 6, through the end of October.

An airport spokesperson told AIN that the initial contracting process took slightly longer than anticipated to implement, necessitating the change in timeline from the original early September completion date.

The $10 million airfield electrical and pavement improvements project, paid for with a combination of FAA AIP grant and airport funding sources, is expected to span 27 months and will update aging runway lighting and signage to increase circuit reliability and repair runway and taxiway pavement to address findings in a 2015 pavement condition study. Additionally, to adjust for the shift in magnetic variation, the airport’s two parallel runways will be renamed to 18 and 36, requiring changes to signage and surface painted markings.

One beneficiary of the extended runway closure is nearby privately-owned Austin Executive Airport. General manager Jodie Kaluza reported that she has seen an influx of new business aviation customers who wish to avoid the extensive taxiing required to reach the FBOs when using Bergstrom’s primary Runway 17R/35L.