LVIA’s $90M rehabilitation project

No flights will be booked Tuesday through Thursday at Lehigh Valley International Airport, due to its two runways being closed for the second time this month as part of a rehabilitation project.

“This takes place every 20 years, since that’s the lifespan of our runways,” said Colin Riccobon, spokesperson of the Hanover Township, Lehigh County, airport.

The closure will not affect LANTA routes, Trans-Bridge service to New York or United Airlines bus service to Newark Liberty International Airport that use the airport as a stop, Riccobon said. Car rentals from the airport will also remain available.

LVIA has been gradually repairing and improving the tarmac, lighting and draining systems on its runways for years, with crews working during off-hours or closing one of the two runways as needed, Riccobon said.

The nearly $90 million project, which involves an $8 million runway upgrade, was coordinated between the airport, several commercial airlines, air cargo carriers, stakeholders and tenants, he added.

The work involves widening the asphalt shoulders on part of one runway, adding edge and centerline lighting on that runway and surface-grading in the runway safety areas, states a Friday news release.

The upcoming closure is the second of two, the first of which took place Friday to Sunday to allow the start of paving rehabilitation at the runway intersection.

A total of 6,500 tons of asphalt was placed within the intersection, adding about 4 inches of depth to the existing pavement to accommodate heavy aircraft and an anticipated increase in operations over the next 20 years, the release states.

Also installed were 1,500 tons of asphalt on various other projects, including pavement reconstruction at Gate 2 and rehabilitation of the terminal roadway pavement.

During the second closure, a final 3-inch lift of asphalt will be added to give the runway intersection 17 inches of total pavement thickness.

Riccobon didn’t anticipate further future dates where flights can’t be booked at LVIA, as the project continues to its scheduled 2023 or 2024 completion.

Source: Morning Call. September 26, 2021