Airport Check-in: Vail reopens after runway extension
— -- Colorado's Vail/Eagle County Airport reopens Tuesday after extensive renovation of its runway. The airport has been closed since April 15 for the work. The renovation is part of a five-year, $60 million airport improvement project that included expansion of the terminal and upgrade of radar.
The runway is 1,000 feet longer, which will allow aircraft to carry more weight and fuel in the thin air of the high-altitude airport. Chris Anderson, the terminal manager, says he hopes Vail/Eagle will "be able to add new routes that we haven't been able to previously" as a result, particularly during the summer.
The airport celebrated last week with a Romp the Runway event that featured bicycle races, children's activities and a 5k fun run on the newly paved surface.
Vail/Eagle County is the closest airport to some of Colorado's most popular winter-sports resorts, including Vail and Beaver Creek. Anderson says about 75% of the airport's 440,000 annual passengers fly during the winter season.
One of the two main runways atMineta San Jose International Airport will close for two weeks starting in late September. The airport will extend a taxiway adjacent to Runway 30 Left as part of a $7.2 million renovation project, $5.2 million of which comes from the federal stimulus package.
Departing and arriving flights will share another runway (30 Right) during the construction. The airport says it doesn't expect any flight delays, but it is warning nearby residents that regular flight paths will change during the runway closing, so some neighborhoods may notice increased flight traffic.
"The new taxiway ... will help us support more general aviation, which will be good for the airport, San Jose and Silicon Valley," San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed said in a statement.
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