66 RUNWAYS September 2026 AirportImprovement.com RDD Much like the tortoise proved in Aesop’s fable, slow and steady can also win the race for federal funding. No one knows that better than Redding Regional Airport (RDD) in Northern California. But the city-owned airport also showed hare-like speed once it secured a much-needed Airport Improvement Program grant. For decades, RDD’s primary runway was on the decline, eventually warping and undulating due to age and weathering. But despite operating with pavement first constructed in 1991 and last restored in 2001, the airport was unable to obtain FAA funding for a rehabilitation project. In recent years, Runway 16-34 needed a major rehabilitation to keep the runway in safe operating condition. Without major improvements, pavement deterioration could have grounded crucial airline connections to larger airports in the region. But persistence paid off—with the assistance of California’s congressional office and local officials who coordinated with the FAA to secure an Airport Improvement Program grant of up to $28.4 million in time to rescue the rapidly deteriorating airfield infrastructure. Today, RDD has a freshly regraded and resurfaced runway that serves a mix of scheduled commercial service and general aviation traffic. “We may have been able to last another year or two [without major rehabilitation work],” says Airport Director Andrew Solsvig, adding that one bad winter could have cut the timeline even shorter. “If we were to get any significant damage where [the pavement] wasn’t really fixable, that would have shut us down for a longer period of time. That’s the risk you take.” Ultimately, it took a project team that stayed together through funding delays and paving crews that moved quickly and efficiently during a monthlong runway closure to pull the project off. With crucial cooperation from airline partners and airport users, RDD shut down its primary Redding Regional Combines Persistence and Speed to Complete Runway Improvements BY ANDREW TELLIJOHN ANDREW SOLSVIG FACTS&FIGURES Project: Runway Rehabilitation Location: Redding Regional Airport, in CA Scope: Mill & overlay, crack repair, grade correction on 7,003-ft. asphalt runway Projected Cost: About $30 million Funding: $28.4 million Airport Improvement Program grant; passenger facility charges; $1.5 million loan taken by city for parking lot enhancements Key Benefits: Operational continuity for commercial & general aviation customers; fixing years of pavement deterioration Project Timeline: Design 2022-Jan. 2024; preconstruction Aug. 2025; runway closure Sept. 23- Oct. 20, 2025; runway reopened in late Oct. 2025; off- peak nightly closures Nov.-Dec. 2025 for remaining work Lead Consultant: Mead & Hunt Construction: Redding Airport Constructors, joint venture of DeSilva Gates & J.F. Shea Prime Electrical Contractor (Runway Lights & Signage): Royal Electric Co. Soil Stabilization & Backfill: Griffin Soil Site Prep, Grading & Erosion Control: M&S Environmental Landscapes Airfield Markings: Centerline Striping Co. Inc. Associated Projects: Repaving rental car, public & employee parking lots
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