12 RUNWAYS October 2026 AirportImprovement.com SAT That’s beginning to change, though. Six years ago, Arizona’s Tucson International Airport (TUS) built its new 10,996-foot commercial Runway 12R-30L using CMAR. Further north in greater Phoenix, Mesa Gateway Airport (AZA) likewise used the method late last year when rebuilding 2,800 feet of pavement for its Runway 12R-30L. More recently, Colorado’s Aspen/Pitkin County Airport (ASE) announced in August it would use CMAR for a runway reconstruction and relocation project beginning in spring 2027. Salerno posits that FAA’s historic reluctance to allow use of the CMAR structure on surface projects stems from unease over delivery timing. It’s one thing for a building to miss its scheduled opening date, but a delayed runway opening can be far more impactful to the overall airspace system. Those concerns were eased by his company’s work history. Since the 1970s, Austin has developed more than 140 aviation projects at 25 airports including Chicago O’Hare (ORD), San Francisco International (SFO) and Newark Liberty International (EWR). It also has extensive runway experience from work completed at Dallas-Fort Worth International (DFW), just a stone’s throw from the firm’s headquarters in Coppell, TX. “We’re very strong on our airfield resume. So that, combined with the [off-airport] CMAR experience within our organization, allowed us to win Austin-Bergstrom,” Salerno explains, referring to the CMAR contract Austin Bridge & Road won for a midfield taxiway project at AUS just months before it bid on the CMAR runway project at SAT. The military’s tight timeframe also contributed to FAA’s willingness to consider CMAR, adds Tamang. Austin Bridge & Road began working with Kimley-Horn in September 2025. Looking ahead, both teams will shift focus to developing an airfield drainage system for SAT that is scheduled to begin construction in 2027. That project will add a nearly mile-long, 8-foot-diameter drainpipe beneath two active runways and new drainage structures. It will include more runway rehabilitation and begin earthwork to set the stage for a full replacement of Runway 13R-31L a few years from now. Jigsaw Coming Together Kimley-Horn’s Tamang says he loves nothing more than to “geek out” over the nuances of civil engineering. SAT’s runway afforded him plenty of opportunities given its lengthy history. “That runway was built in four different phases over time,” he explains. “You have World War II-era, then Jet Age and commercial extensions. The composition of the runway has so much variety to it.” Modern runways typically have Portland Cement Concrete set at a singular thickness, usually ranging from 18 to 20 inches deep. Runway 13R-31L had portions where the initial concrete thickness was just 6.5 inches, with subsequent pours anywhere from 12 to 21 inches tall—and in varying widths. “Is that best practice in 2026?” Tamang asks in jest. “No.” FAA normally eschews repaving over variable thicknesses because doing so can result in uneven surfaces that become Trusted by 50+ U.S. airports A I R P O R T I D E N T I T Y M A N A G E M E N T a i r b a d g e . u s SAVE TIME ∙ ENSURE COMPLIANCE ∙ IMPROVE SECURITY Plan a Demo Contractors installed nearly 180 new concrete panels.
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