West runway nears completion

Published May 10, 2013
By Airman 1st Class Victor J. Caputo
22nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs

MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. -- The West runway is tentatively scheduled for reopening May 30, 2013, after nearly a year and a half of reconstruction and upgrades.

The runway, which was more than 20 years old, received approximately $46 million worth of renovations during the construction, including new lights, an instrument landing system and improved taxiways.

"We're bringing it up to Air Mobility Command and Air Force-level codes and requirements," said Jay J. McFarland, 22nd Civil Engineer Squadron program management pavements engineer. "We're also reducing the footprint of the pavement so that we have less to maintain."

Beginning December 2011, more than 1,000 personnel have worked to meet the goal of finishing the project by this spring.

The arrival of B-1 Lancers in 1987 caused much more strain for the runways than originally planned, as they were planned only for the KC-135 Stratotankers stationed at McConnell AFB.

"It was designed for the tankers," said McFarland. "The B-1s are heavier and that traffic affected it. The runway became somewhat deteriorated and cracked."

The runway as a whole could not sustain the heavier-than-expected load despite regular maintenance and repairs over the years.

Cracks and other damages were repaired and the runway is now at full capacity for landing and takeoff. The 16-inch concrete will ensure the structural stability for years to come, said McFarland.

One of the largest improvements made to the West runway is the addition of the instrument landing system.

"If we have bad weather and pilots can't see the runway," said 2nd Lt. Hollis Troxel, 22nd Operations Support Squadron airfield operations flight operations officer, "this instrument guides them into position so they can land center-line."

Without the ILS installed, pilots were forced to land at Wichita Mid-Continent Airport during bad weather.

Once fully functional, the West runway will enable pilots to land at McConnell AFB during adverse weather conditions. This improvement not only helps create training opportunities for Airman air traffic controllers, but also decreases workloads for Wichita Mid-Continent Airport.

"With dual runways," said Troxel, "you can have multiple aircraft at once so the opportunity for this training is invaluable for our air traffic controllers."

With the West runway open after more than a year, aircraft will now have the ability to land while another takes off from the other side of the taxiway.

The East runway is currently on a list of Air Force-wide runways scheduled for renovations. Estimated time before construction begins is more than 10 years.