Flight Delays Reported at MSP

Arriving flights were delayed at Minneapolis-St. Paul International on Aug. 19, the day after a major runway was closed down for a construction project. The Federal Aviation Administration reported average delays of an hour and a half for arriving flights. An airport spokesman said work on the runway would likely exacerbate flight delays on stormy days.

Runway 12L/30R at Minneapolis-St. Paul International closed for reconstruction of the middle 3,800 feet of pavement. The runway is expected to remain closed through the end of October. The FAA redistributed air traffic to the remaining three runways.

Reconstruction of the runway section is necessary due to the deterioration of pavement integrity due to the pavement’s age and heavy use. Constructed in 1967, the middle portion of the runway currently consists of a section of concrete pavement overlaid with bituminous pavement, which has been milled and overlaid repeatedly throughout the years, and a second section constructed of 1967 vintage concrete pavement.

The runway ends were fully reconstructed in 1990 and the intersection was reconstructed in 1996.  When this final section is completed, the entire runway will consist of a base of at least three feet of granular material topped with 12 inches of crushed limestone and 20 inches of concrete.