Hailey,ID

Time and again in our 25+ years of service at Sun Valley, we have responded to the airport’s need to adapt to the constantly changing aviation world through a multitude of projects including major runway reconstructions, a multi-year safety area improvements project, and improvements to their terminal and other facilities.  

When a commercial service airport only has one runway, closing the runway also closes the airport. We recently assisted Friedman Memorial Airport (SUN) with a project to rehabilitate their runway. Due to the impacts on the airport and community, the runway closure was limited to 30 days in the spring of 2022. The project included mill and inlay of Runway 13-31, paved shoulders, blast pad, and replacement of runway lighting. 

For a project to be successful in a short spring construction window, coordination of all elements of the project is key. The airport needed the project complete prior to Memorial Day weekend so we reviewed prior weather records to find the best 30-day window for construction. Local ordinances limit construction work hours so we worked with the City to approve longer working hours during the closure. During design we recycled the maximum amount of material onsite to minimize truck traffic on local roads. Due to restrictions on starting construction ahead of discretionary funding, we chose to bid the project nearly one year in advance so we could assure the grant would be in place prior to the construction window. Through cold temperatures and significant precipitation, all work elements were completed in time for a ribbon cutting just hours before the runway opened and the first plane landed.