Duluth Runway Reconstruction Project Gets the Green Light

The Duluth International Airport says an agreement was reached Tuesday allowing the runway reconstruction project to move forward. 

Officials said in a news release that an agreement was reached between the Duluth Airport Airport Authority, airport stakeholders, and the construction contractor that will allow the project to start June 1. 

The project will be broken into two phases, 1A and 1B. 

Completion of phase 1A, which is approximately 20 percent of the total project, is scheduled for June 22, with Phase 1B scheduled for the summer of 2017.  The new construction schedule allows phase 1A to be done as planned while the 148th Fighter Wing is deployed to Korea.  

The reconstruction plan initially proposed a two month runway closure in 2016 which posed a major problem for AAR, an aircraft maintenance facility located at the airport.  While other airport tenants can use the shorter “crosswind” runway at Duluth, AAR’s client is unable to utilize this runway and a two month closure would have threatened the jobs and workload at AAR.  A creative solution was required eo meet AAR’s needs and keep the construction project on track.