NORFOLK — The Norfolk Airport Authority announced Friday that Norfolk International Airport’s primary runway has returned to full service following a phased $65 million rehabilitation effort.
The project replaced older concrete surfaces on Runway 05/23 with new asphalt that can better support the airport’s operational needs for up to 20 years.
The project was financed through a combination of federal Airport Improvement Program grants; funding from the Virginia Department of Aviation; as well as Passenger Facility Charges paid by travelers who have flown in and out of the airport.
“These runway improvements directly affect our ability to maintain safe and efficient operations,” said Mark Perryman, President & Chief Executive Officer of the Norfolk Airport Authority. “The new asphalt ends of Runway 05/23 offer a smoother surface for departing and arriving aircraft, and of greater importance, they’re more easily repairable whenever runway maintenance may be needed in the future. In tandem with several previous projects that improved the middle portions of the runway, ORF’s airfield is in fantastic shape and will continue to meet our region’s aviation needs for many more years to come.”
Runway 05/23 extends 9,001 feet and can serve most commercial airliners including those flying nonstop to destinations across the continental United States, as well as the Caribbean and Western Europe, the authority said.
The airport handles more than 75,000 takeoffs and landings per year with just one commercial runway, it noted, so the project was split into phases to minimize disruptions to airline and cargo operations and to schedule all runway rehabilitation to occur between the spring and fall months to ensure all navigation equipment and the full runway length were available for winter weather conditions.
Work on the runway’s northern end took place from April through November 2023. The final phase addressed the southern end between April and November of this year.
The authority also explained that the runway’s concrete ends were crushed and left in place to serve as the base for a hot mix asphalt overlay that serves as the runway’s new surface material. This eliminated the need to haul waste by truck to nearby landfills.
Before the two major asphalt replacements, workers replaced centerline lights, reconstructed portions of taxiways and made other related improvements to the runway’s center 6,000 feet during 2018 and 2020. The authority added much of this work occurred overnight after the conclusion of scheduled daily flights to minimize the construction’s impact on airlines and travelers.
The primary contractor for the project was Virginia Paving Company, a subsidiary of Eurovia, with assistance from Kimley-Horn Engineering, Flight Tech Engineering and Atlantic Electric, among other partner contractors, the authority said.
The project is part of the airport’s ongoing “TransformORF” capital improvement program that encompasses nearly $1 billion in additions and enhancements.
