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DFW Airport to close busiest runway for $160M rebuild project


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DFW Airport has received two grants for airfield improvements from the Federal Aviation Administration.

Most of the Airport Improvement Program grants, about $49.5 million, will be used to refurbish Runway 17-Center/35-Center and make associated taxiway improvements. Another $2.6 million will help upgrade lighting for the terminal ramp areas.

The rehabilitation project is scheduled to take place in mid-2018. The runway will be closed for about four months, but DFW’s six additional runways will allow a full schedule of flight operations, airport officials said. Customers should not see significant air traffic delays due to the closure, officials said

The rehabilitation project for Runway 17C/35C includes installation of an updated pavement sensor system for measuring weather impacts.

U.S. Rep. Kenny Marchant, R-Coppell, said the improvements will maintain DFW Airport’s position as “the nation's premier transportation hub.”

"I am honored to represent DFW Airport in Congress and look forward to the seeing the impacts these improvements will have on air-travel, trade and job creation in North Texas,” Marchant said.

The rehabilitation consists of replacement of the center third of the runway, which is about 6,000 feet long, 50 feet wide and reaches a depth of more than three feet. The runway is comprised of 12 inches of lime-treated sub-base, 8 inches of cement-treated base and 18 inches of Portland Cement concrete.

Afterward, the entire runway will be resurfaced with a composite section of Portland Cement concrete and polymer-modified high-performance asphalt, designed for strength, flexibility and weather resistance.

DFW Airport serves more than 65 million customers per year, making it one of the most frequently visited super-hub airports in the world.