DESTIN — Runway 14-32 is closed to planes, but there is plenty of action at Destin Airport.
“We’ve got crews working 24 hours a day,” said project manager Heather Weigel, an aviation construction inspector with RS&H, an engineering service company. “It’s a mill and overlay project where between 1½ and 2 inches of the existing asphalt were removed for a full resurfacing of the runway.”
Crews have been working on the 5,000-foot long, 100-foot wide runway for about a month. Work began with a 9 p.m.-6 a.m. construction cycle before the runway was closed completely to air traffic Feb. 4.
Since then, the sky above Destin has been quiet as planes are rerouted to other airports in Northwest Florida.
As part of the roughly $5 million project, the airport’s electronic runway navigation system will see updates to the “hold short” taxiway signs and directional signs, as well as a complete replacement of the runway signs. Modern, cost-efficient LED lights will be installed.
The milling work took 12 hours last week. The runway now is being paved in 1,000-foot segments.
“Brand new pavement is always nice,” Weigel said. “It’s like having the road in front of your house paved; it’s a headache at first but you appreciate it when it’s done.”
Weigel said a typical airport runway, depending on the traffic, lasts 20 to 40 years. Destin’s has lived well beyond that; the work under way is the first major overhaul since it was built in 1963.
The runway is expected to reopen at 6 a.m. Tuesday. If the work hasn’t wrapped up by then, the job will be finished on an overnight schedule.
The right-hand northbound lane of Airport Road from Commons Drive and continuing about 1,500 feet will remain closed until 7 a.m. Tuesday while the contractor uses the lane to move trucks to and from the construction site.
Crews will also be back 30 days after the job is completed to put down permanent striping to replace temporary striping.
“We are doing everything we can to be ready for Tuesday’s opening,” Weigel said.
Destin Log Staff Writer Matt Algarin can be reached at 850-654-8446 or malgarin@thedestinlog.com. Follow him on Twitter @DestinLogMatt.