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The Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport closed the south parallel runway on Monday to complete safety improvements started earlier this year, the Metropolitan Airports Commission announced.
The closure is expected to last until Sept. 26. The airport will shut down runway 12R-30L, a 10,000-foot stretch, which runs east-west between Terminal 1 and Terminal 2.
Construction started in April, but renovations were suspended during peak summer travel season to accommodate travel.
According to a news release, the maintenance process includes runway grading, drainage and shoulder improvements, as well as reconstruction of taxiway D. The two-phase project has a $3.48 million budget, according to MAC.
Passengers should not expect delays due to runway repairs, said Jeff Lea, a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Airports Commission.
"If there are delays it’s likely due to some other factors such as weather, you know, even when all four runways are open you can have weather impacts that reduce sort of the volume of flights that can either arrive or take off,” Lea said.
Residents from surrounding neighborhoods may experience unusual air traffic activity. Lea added the Federal Aviation Administration ultimately assigns where flights take off and depart in the remaining runway space, and that it could fluctuate depending on the day.
"We really don't know which communities will be affected,” Lea said. “I can say that people residing in and around MSP may notice unusual flight patterns and maybe noise levels while construction and maintenance is occurring on that runway.”
Any questions or concerns regarding airplane operations and noise can be directed to the MAC Community Relations Office, and additional information can be found on its website.
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