The single largest construction project ever at Hector International Airport is almost complete.  The newly constructed Runway 18/36 opened on Friday at 11:56 AM. 

The contractors put the finishing touches on miscellaneous items over the past week to assure that all navigational equipment and lighting is completed for the first flight to land.  The runway will be officially flight checked by the Federal Aviation Administration on Tuesday.  At that time, the navigational aids will be commissioned and airport operations will return to normal. 

With Runway 18/36 officially reopened, the temporary runway that was used during construction will begin its transformation back to the primary taxiway.  The $18.4 million reconstruction project began on May 3^rd, and , in spite of some weather related interruptions, is being completed on time.   The project included complete reconstruction of the 9,000 foot long by 150-foot wide runway, connecting taxiways, tow new military aircraft arresting barriers and relocation of the FAA navigational aids. 

A portion of this project, a new connecting taxiway will be completed in 2005. 

All facets of the project were locally designed and managed by Ulteig Engineers.  The general contractor for the project was Shafer Contracting of Shafer, Minnesota.  Major subcontractors included two area firms: Strata Corporation and Sellin Brothers.

A progression of this entire project can be viewed by clicking here.