After seven years of construction and two winters ahead of schedule, the Erie Regional Airport Authority (ERAA) opened Runway 6-24 for full-length operation. Aircraft flying in and out of Erie International Airport (ERI) now have 7,500 feet of pavement available for landing and 8,420 feet for take-off.
A standard 1,000 feet of safety area at both ends of Runway 6-24 are now providing enhanced safety to the flying public.
“Having full use of the extended runway enabled ERI to establish the 1,000-feet safety areas today, the primary impetus for the $83-million program,” said Chris Rodgers, executive director of the ERAA. “The ERI non-standard safety area waiver was set to expire in 2014. Nearly $60 million in FAA and Bureau of Aviation grants have been provided to ERI specifically to address runway safety area deficiencies. In addition, the extended runway length will improve landing and takeoff reliability in poor weather conditions.”
The milestone is just one of many the ERAA board and project team expect to meet before the project wraps up in August 2013. In the weeks and months ahead, a new electrical vault will become operational, extended taxi-way Alpha will be placed into service, upgraded instrument landing system components will come online, a completely new approach lighting system will guide landing planes, and the old runway pavement will be resurfaced.
For more information, visit www.erieairport.org.
