Upgrades set to begin at Gadsden Airport

Work is expected to begin soon on A $2.4 million upgrade to the main runway at the Northeast Alabama Regional Airport in Gadsden. A federal grant will cover 90 percent of the work to “completely redo” the airport’s main runway. The work will include repaving and repairing the foundation in some areas of the runway that is 6,825 feet long and 125 feet wide. Airport officials say the runway will only have to be closed for about a week to 10 days during the construction part of the project, which will take about 90 days to complete. However, the airport’s other runway will be open. The Gadsden Airport Authority and the state will each contribute 5 percent of the construction costs. Officials say that Traffic at the airport is up more than 50 percent from last year which officials credit to the installation of the Instrument Landing System, which is used more by corporate jets, and because the airport is being used more by the military for exercises.