DFW Airport’s busiest runway has been closed for months. When will it reopen?
Arguably the most important of DFW Airport’s seven runways has been out of commission for about six months, while workers gave the 13,401-foot strip of pavement a $133 million makeover.
But Runway 17C/35C, which typically handles 40 percent of all arrivals at Dallas-Fort Worth Airport, is now poised to re-open to air traffic. The north-south runway on DFW’s east side is scheduled to resume normal flights March 10, pending some final tests conducted by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
“DFW took every step possible to reduce the construction time and return the air traffic patterns to normal as quickly as possible,” Chad Makovsky, DFW executive vice president of operations, said.
Unlike the rest of the DFW airfield, which is mostly concrete, runway 17C/35C has been rebuilt with a high-density version of asphalt that can withstand temperatures of 190 degrees Fahrenheit without melting.
“This asphalt will be much easier to maintain,” Makovsky said.
In all, 220,000 tons of asphalt were used, airport officials said.
Although asphalt is the main ingredient on the top layer, the runway also has a layer of concrete below the surface — and a stabilized, earthen base. Together, the components of the runway reach 5 feet, 6 inches deep.
More than 200,000 hours of labor were needed to build the runway project, which was an even greater challenge because of rainy weather throughout the project, airport officials said.
The runway also includes enhanced LED lighting and pavement markings. About $80 million in federal grant funds helped cover the project costs.
