Story ID: 
Main DFW Runway Close for Refurb
By: Curt Epstein
Caption: 13,400 foot 17C/35C will see partial closure through the summer, followed by total shutdown until December.
Word Count: 219
Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport kicked off a major infrastructure improvement last week to rebuild its busiest runway. The $135 million project on 13,400-foot Runway 17C/35C will begin with a partial closure, which will enable the southern part of the runway to be used during daylight hours. Starting in August, the runway will be closed entirely through the completion of the work in December.

“This runway work is a critical need for DFW Airport, and the first major step in our ten-year plan to modernize infrastructure across the airport,” explained Khaled Naja, executive vice president of infrastructure and development at the airport. “We’ve taken a long look at our 44-year old facilities and have developed a comprehensive plan to address the upcoming work on runways, taxiways, aircraft ramps, roadway, and bridges over the next few years.”

By the end of the year, DFW will have replaced a 6,000-foot section in the center of the runway, to a depth of more than three feet, and resurfaced it with a polymer-modified, high-performance black asphalt, designed for strength, flexibility, and weather resistance. Other improvements include enhanced in-pavement lighting and the installation of a pavement sensor system for measuring weather impact. Additional work will be performed on a perimeter taxiway on the northeast side of the airport.