Vernal Regional Airport Runway Relocation

Ardurra delivered runway relocation services for Vernal Regional Airport (VEL), successfully upgrading to C-II compliance with enhanced safety area standards and increased runway length through a strategic $33 million, multi-year, multi-phase project completed six months ahead of schedule. The complex initiative required relocating the main runway 275 feet west while maintaining continuous commercial service operations through nighttime construction and phased delivery approaches.

The team managed extensive land acquisition encompassing over 100 acres across seven parcels and four landowners, coordinating with appraisers, legal counsel, surveyors, environmental specialists, and municipal officials. Strategic runway positioning enabled existing runway operations during construction while accommodating the development of a new parallel taxiway on newly acquired property.

Key Runway Relocation Achievements:

• Completed $33 million runway relocation, upgrading to C-II compliance with enhanced safety standards and increased runway length

• Managed comprehensive land acquisition encompassing 100+ acres across seven parcels, requiring coordination of multiple stakeholders and specialists

• Relocated the main runway 275 feet west with new parallel taxiway construction, enabling continued commercial service operations

• Coordinated FAA Flight Procedures Division meetings addressing new approaches and existing/future airfield NAVAIDs integration

• Reconstructed complete infrastructure, including lighting, navigational aids, ASOS weather station, drainage, and irrigation facilities

• Managed overlapping construction phases, bidding each phase during the previous phase construction, maintaining operational continuity

• Finished six months ahead of schedule through strategic phasing and continuous construction management despite multi-year complexity

The runway relocation provides Vernal Regional Airport with enhanced safety compliance and operational capacity while demonstrating exceptional project management through simultaneous land acquisition, design, and phased construction delivery. Strategic scheduling and stakeholder coordination enabled the transformation of infrastructure without compromising essential commercial aviation services.