The Massachusetts Port Authority this week announced that rehabilitation of the southern section of the short runway at Hanscom Field will begin on June 5.
Ground traffic hauling asphalt for this 3,050-foot section of the runway will travel to and from the airport through Lexington and Lincoln. The trucks are expected to make 50 round trips a day during 20 days of asphalt hauling on Route 2A, Hanscom Drive, and Old Bedford and Virginia roads.
The project was mentioned at Tuesday’s virtual meeting of the Hanscom Field Advisory Commission. Christopher Eliot, who chairs the panel and represents Lincoln, said town police are aware of the project schedule and are expected to implement traffic control at key intersections if needed.
The project includes replacement of runway threshold lights with LED lighting, and staging for that phase will be on the so-called North Airfield area, off Hartwell Road in Bedford.
There will be some activity at the airport gate near The Edge sports center, but it will not entail large vehicles. Pickups and utility-type trucks will be making “minimal trips,” according to a Massport official, mostly during the day. When lights are installed where the runways intersect, the work will take place at night.
“The main goal of this project is to replace the asphalt pavement that has deteriorated on Runway 5-23, south of Runway 11-29,” Massport said in an announcement. The work will include pavement milling, crack repair, resurfacing, and removal of excess pavement. Price for the entire project is $29.5 million.
The shorter northeast-southwest runway will be closed for about 37 days, according to Massport, and there will be changes in flight patterns during that time, as all aircraft will be diverted to the long runway, which already handles 80 percent of Hanscom traffic.
“There will be intermittent closures for final marking and grooving within 30 days after base construction,” according to the Port Authority.
The project also will feature the restoration of more than nine acres of grass along the sides of the 5-23 runway. The pavement was originally sized for military aircraft, and now it doesn’t have to be so wide.
The remaining 2,057 feet of the shorter runway – north of the intersection – is targeted for resurfacing in the summer of 2024, and construction traffic is expected to directly impact Bedford.
For information on specific changes in runway usage, please call Massport’s Noise Complaint Line at 781-869-8050 with any questions or concerns.
Loading ...
