HDR’s Runway Rehabilitation Planning Featured in Airport Improvement Magazine

A new airport runway in a weekend — that was the outcome of an August 2021 project at the Blue Grass Airport in Lexington, Kentucky. While many airports repave their runway in sections through nightly closures, the Blue Grass Airport opted to shut down commercial service for 72 hours to precision mill and repave its sole commercial runway.

The work required round-the-clock work and meticulous organization. Planning and preliminary design for the project began in 2016. HDR has been involved since the beginning and our experts were on hand throughout the closure to ensure it all went off without a hitch.

The project was the subject of a recent article in Airport Improvement magazine, which explained how the strategy is expected to improve cost efficiency and quality control. The magazine spoke with HDR’s Tim Ward, the project’s design and construction manager. He shared how, with only a 72-hour window, the team had to be prepared for every contingency, with backups for backups.

“It was probably the best project that I’ve ever been involved in,” Ward told the magazine. “I put in 16- to 18-hour days, but I enjoyed every minute of it. They were long, tiring days. But when I look back on them, it was a great opportunity.”

Read more in "Blue Grass Airport Races to Repave Runway in 72 Hours," in the November/December 2021 issue of Airport Improvement.