Connecticut’s Waterbury-Oxford Airport closed Runway 18-36, its lone runway, this morning for a month-long reconstruction and safety improvement project.
The $32 million project—the FAA is covering 90 percent of the cost—includes the total reconstruction of the existing pavement on the 5,800-foot runway, the lowering of an Eversource transmission tower, as well as new taxiway edge lights, guidance and directional signs, electrical conductors, FAA navigational aids, and airfield pavement markings.
In addition, the Runway 36 elevation will be raised approximately 0.8 feet, and Runway 18 elevation will be raised approximately 5.5 feet. "This project will correct two nonstandard conditions identified by FAA, the Runway 18-36 line of sight and the Runway 18 longitudinal gradient," noted the Connecticut Airport Authority. "All reconstructed pavements will be designed to current FAA geometry standards. Additional project elements include the relocation of a section of Juliano Drive to allow for the construction of the Runway 36 Safety area, as well as the relocation of the Runway 36 localizer and lowering of an Eversource transmission tower." An airport representative told AIN on Tuesday that most of the private jets based there had already been relocated ahead of the closure. The airport is slated to resume operations on Sunday, August 5.