b'64 PGD RUNWAYSPlanners considered keeping the secondary commercial runwaycould accommodate larger commercial aircraft while 4-22 was shut open during the day and completing work in overnight shifts, butdown. That project began in fall 2019, required a temporary closure ultimately decided against that approach. It would have takenand took a year to complete.longer and it would have produced an inferior product becauseIn addition to extending Runway 15-33, crews resurfaced and youd have cold joints in the runway that would be a maintenancegrooved the pavement, painted fresh markings and installed issue, Piro explains.sustainable LED fixtures. Blast pads were also added at each end Of course, shutting down commercial traffic meant losing someof the longer, newly rehabilitated runway. The $12 million project revenue, so it was scheduled for the least busy month of the year.was funded with $4.7 million from FAA, $3.7 million from the Florida The contract for this portion of the project consequently includedDepartment of Transportation and $3.7 million from passenger penalties for Wright Construction if work was not completed onfacility charges.time. Ultimately, no penalties were assessed. The takeaway is the importance of collaboration between theTune-Ups for Time-Worn Taxiwaysairlines, the airport operator, the contractor and the engineer aheadRunways werent the only asphalt that needed improvements. of the closure of both runways, Piro says. It was critical that allTaxiways were showing wear from the same traffic that had parties were available and on site during that phase. Just beingdeteriorated the runways. However, budgets can only be stretched there during those late evening hours, when youre working in theso far, and PGD couldnt close all of its taxiways for maintenancedark and anything is possible, added to the success of the project. at once.In August 2020, the airport began construction of a new general Significant Preliminary Projectsaviation ramp to serve its 13,500-square-foot PGD Air Center, the The airport had to complete several enabling projects before anynew FBO in the AviEx expansion area. That $17 million project was work could begin to rebuild Runway 4-22. The most significant oneconstructed in phases, with the last completed in August 2022.was extending Runway 15-33 by nearly 600 feet to 6,286 feet so it May | June 2024AirportImprovement.com'