Washington Reagan National Airport (KDCA) has embarked on a two-year, $94.4 million runway rehabilitation program funded by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) capitol construction program budget and federal grants. It will focus on 7,170-foot Runway 1/19 and 5,200-foot Runway 15/33 and will involve replacing the asphalt and base down to eight inches on both and changing all runway lighting to energy-efficient LED systems.
According to the project engineers, the work will require 123,000 tons of asphalt on Runway 1/19 and 54,000 tons on 15/33. To accommodate this demand, a temporary asphalt plant is being set up at the airport.
The construction will take place on weeknights, weather permitting, and during most of the project’s span only one runway will be closed at a time. Under the construction plan, new pavement will be in place and ready for use in time for morning activity.
“This runway rehabilitation project is significant and necessary for the long-term safety and reliability of runways that serve millions of travelers each year,” said Paul Malandrino, manager of KDCA and MWAA v-p. “Our team at Reagan National has been working to minimize impacts and get the job done without unnecessary inconvenience to travelers.”