The Metropolitan Airports Commission will close 10,000-foot parallel Runway 12R/30L at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (KMSP) starting on Monday for the second and final phase of a scheduled $3.48 million runway and taxiway improvement project. It said the closure is necessary for grading, drainage, and shoulder improvements, as well as the reconstruction of Taxiway D, and will last until September 26. The runway closure will result in changes to the airport’s arrival and departure flight patterns, which will return to normal upon the project's completion.
“These improvements are essential to maintain runway safety and extend the efficiency of our operations in the long term,” said Roy Fuhrmann, COO of the commission that owns and operates KMSP. “With this closure, air traffic control can assign flights to any of KMSP’s three other runways depending on wind direction, air traffic demand, or other operational factors.”
The work was split, with the first-phase closure of the 10,000-foot runway taking place between April 14 and May 23 to allow for the runway’s operation during the peak summer period.