NORFOLK, Va. (WVEC) — Before checking your baggage at Norfolk International Airport, you’ll want to double check the monitors in case your flight is canceled.
Norfolk International Airport has been forced to close its primary runway from 12:15 a.m. to 5:15 a.m. every night due to an extensive 12-week project.
“We recognize there’s an inconvenience,” said airport spokesman Steve Sterling. “It’s been a rough ride for planes, and the center line lights haven’t been totally visible” because of wear and tear from heavy aircraft.
The airport must close 6,000 feet worth of runway. Then crews work for five hours, replacing the centerline lights and the mill and overlay
Sterling said the $15 million project has been in the works for two years.
Airport officials have also been working with airline companies for the past year to accommodate canceled flights. Right now, the airport's last flight scheduled is 11:59 p.m., but any delayed flights that travel through Norfolk would be impacted by the runway closure.
Runway closures began on Monday, and this phase of the runway repairs will go into November; however, Sterling hopes the project will make the runway last for 15 years and improve the rideability of the aircraft.
“Just understanding that it’s really a critical project that we really don’t have any choice but to move forward with. And we would just appreciate everybody’s patience,” said Sterling.
Sterling said the next two phases of the project will focus on two concrete portions of the runway. He said those are 1,5000 feet of concrete that will be broken up and covered with new asphalt.