Pierce County Releases Construction Schedule for Tacoma Narrows Airport

The Pierce County Airport and Ferry Division has obtained both 2012 FAA AIP grant funding and FAA final design approval for the proposed Runway 17-35 Rehabilitation Project, according to Pierce County Public Works and Utilities.

This grant and its associated design approval will allow the county to repair the existing runway pavement. The major elements of this project include rehabilitation of the runway and connector taxiways, reducing the runway width to 100 feet, reducing the connector taxiways width to 50 feet, new runway lighting and signage, a Runway 35 PAPI, and related drainage and electrical improvements. The new runway will also be crowned and grooved.

The public bid process for this project will open on Wednesday, June 13.

Instead of daily weeknight construction activity as initially expected, construction will now be limited to a weekly series of 63-hour continuous runway closure periods from 9 p.m. Sunday evenings until noon Wednesdays.

The reasons for this adjustment are a combination of the increased cost for extended nighttime construction and the cumbersome daily runway inspections required before the runway can be reopened for flight operations. These changes also extended the design process beyond the anticipated completion date.

Therefore, the planned construction schedule is now as follows:

Construction start date: Aug. 12, 2012

Construction end date: Nov. 7, 2012
 
Runway/Connector Taxiways Closure Periods:

Once construction activity commences, and continuing until construction is complete, Runway 17-35 and all Connector Taxiways will be closed during the following days and times:

CONTINUOUSLY:

• 9 p.m. Sunday to Noon Wednesday

NIGHTLY:

• Sunset Wednesday through sunrise Thursday
• Sunset Thursday through sunrise Friday
• Sunset Friday through sunrise Saturday
• Sunset Saturday through sunrise Sunday

Runway/Connector Taxiways Open Periods:

Stated conversely, once construction activity commences, and continuing until construction is complete, Runway 17-35 and all Connector Taxiways will only be open for daytime operations on the following days and times:

DAILY:

• Wednesday: Noon through sunset
• Thursday: Sunrise to sunset
• Friday: Sunrise to sunset
• Saturday: Sunrise to sunset
• Sunday: Sunrise to sunset

For more information, visit the Public Works and Utilities website.