Centerlines - March 2009 - (Page 41) G R A N D O P E N IN G S Three runways open on same day PHOTO COURTESY OF SEATTLE-TACOMA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT PHOTO COURTESY OF O’HARE MODERNIZATION PROGRAM The completion of Runway 9L/27R at O’Hare International Airport was part of a $457 million comprehensive O’Hare Modernization Program, which opened on schedule and $6 million under budget. N O V E M B E R 2 0 , 2 0 0 8 , was A wide-body jet lands on Sea-Tac’s newest runway to test the Instrument Landing. The new 150-foot-wide runway should save the airport billions over the years by avoiding delays. a day of celebration at Washington Dulles, Chicago’s O’Hare and Seattle-Tacoma International Airports as these airports opened new runways which will help ease congestion and delays at each. Former U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters attended dedications at each airport. The roughly 9,400-foot-long, 150-foot-wide north-south Runway 1L-19R is Dulles’ fourth runway. The $355 million project includes a new airport fire and rescue station and high-speed exit taxiways with an instrument landing system and associated lighting systems. It will allow Dulles to add up to 100,000 flights while reducing the average delay per flight by 2.5 minutes. Runway 9L/27R at O’Hare is its first new runway since 1971, making eight total. The $457 million project included a new air traffic control tower and taxiways along with the 7,500-foot-long, 150-footwide Category II/III runway capable of landing 747s. Up to 52,000 flights can be added here, with delays reduced to an average of 16 minutes per flight. Sea-Tac’s new third runway will handle landings when visibility is poor and is expected to cut delays in half. An artificial dirt plateau held in place by a 1,430-foot-long, 130-foot-high retaining wall (said to be the largest such wall in North America) was built to accommodate the 8,500-foot-long, 150-foot-wide runway. The $1.013 billion runway should save $4.76 billion over 25 years by avoiding delays. ■ PHOTO COURTESY OF METROPOLITAN WASHINGTON AIRPORTS AUTHORITY Officials and members of the press corps watch as one of the the first flights from Dulles’ Runway 1L-19R takes off. The new runway is the fourth at the airport and will allow the airport to add flights while reducing the average delay per flight. www.aci-na.org | CENTERLINES 41 http://www.aci-na.org
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