HYANNIS – Cape Cod Gateway Airport will be reopening its Runway 6-24 following the completion of a major six-month reconstruction project.
New pavement, edge lighting, regraded side turf safety areas and related airfield improvements to navigational aids and power sources were all updated for the 5,245-foot runway, which accommodates departures and arrivals from the northeast and southwest.
Work on the approximately $19 million dollar project began in April and was completed on-time and under budget, said airport officials.
The project was 90% funded by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), with the remaining funds provided by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) and Cape Cod Gateway Airport.
“We are profoundly grateful to the FAA and MassDOT for their support of Cape Cod Gateway Airport and acknowledging the facility’s importance to the region and its unique transportation needs,” said Cape Cod Gateway Airport Manager Katie Servis.
“Runway pavements are typically given a 20-year lifespan from the FAA, and Runway 6-24 had reached that milestone necessitating the full rebuild project. It is critical that airport infrastructure including runways, taxiways, and aprons be properly maintained to safely accommodate the types of aircraft that use the facility on a regular basis,” Servis said.
Operations at the airport now return to a more balanced take-off and landing traffic pattern for areas surrounding the airport with the reactivation of the runway.
The Runway 6-24 reconstruction project also coincided with the design, construction, and replacement of the airport’s Engineered Materials Arresting System (EMAS), which had also reached the end of its useful lifespan.
An EMAS is a specially installed surface, similar to crushable concrete, which quickly stops aircraft that overrun the ends of runways.
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