JFK's big runway re-opens on time, on budget, boasts PANYNJ

FLIGHTS have resumed on John F Kennedy International Airport's "Bay Runway", the region's longest and busiest runway after a four-month shutdown to re-build it, implement flight delay measures and increase its width to handle the world's largest commercial planes.

The runway - one of only three in the US long enough to land the NASA space shuttle - was completed on budget and ahead of schedule, said a statement from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ).

Said New York Governor David Paterson: "With the completion of the Bay Runway reconstruction, John F Kennedy International Airport has stepped boldly into a new era of transportation that will mean jobs, new revenue, and greater economic growth for the entire tri-state region."

Said port authority chairman Anthony Coscia: "This is a model example of the port authority completing a critical project on time and on budget. It is an impressive accomplishment that will help reduce flight delays for decades to come."

The Bay Runway's new concrete surface is expected to last 40 years, replacing the 13-year-old asphalt surface, which has a much shorter useful life. It will produce an estimated long-term savings of US$500 million while reducing the need for ongoing maintenance.

Work began on the 14,572-foot long Bay Runway - the longest at JFK by more than 3,000 feet - in July 2009. On March 1, the bulk of the work commenced with the four-month closing to complete 10,925 feet of the runway. The runway reopened on June 28 with all navigational features. The remaining 3,647 feet of the runway work will be completed in two phases in the coming months.
(Source:www.schednet.com)