Glacier runway to close in August 2009

The Daily Inter Lake

Repair work will halt weekday flights

The main runway at Glacier Park International Airport will be closed for renovation during most of August 2009 - at the height of the summer tourism season.

The schedule will allow for all weekend arrivals and departures after 9 a.m. on Fridays through 10 p.m. on Mondays from Aug. 2 through Aug. 27, 2009.

"We have been asked why August and not May or September when there are fewer visitors to the area," airport director Cindi Martin said in a press release. "It is a matter of the 24-hour air temperature, the likelihood of rainfall and FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) funding schedules.

"Laying asphalt requires air temperatures of 45 degrees Fahrenheit and rising, and it is best done when the ground is not wet," Martin said. "In our extensive studies of the weather patterns, the month of August is the best time with the highest likelihood of optimal conditions."

Construction on the project has been divided into four phases. Each phase will be completed within the days allotted to allow for full runway use on the weekend schedule, Martin said. Construction crews will work 24 hours a day during the closure.

When the primary runway is closed, small general-aviation aircraft will be accommodated as much as possible on the crosswind runway. There should be no interruptions to medical helicopter flights or other helicopter traffic during the planned closures.

Martin said the airport's primary runway is safe as is, but the surface needs to be rehabilitated to keep it that way.

It is routine maintenance, something that must be done every 18 to 20 years to maintain the integrity of the runway landing surface.

"We intend to get it done before there is reason to be concerned because safety is our top priority," she said.