Expansion and Improvement
Although some plans have been studied to either replace or relieve PDX traffic, planners continue to prefer expansion. Salem, Oregon's McNary Field (SLE) and the Port of Portland's Hillsboro Airport (HIO) in Washington County have been suggested as future relievers. Between 1993 and 2007, Salem's airport was without scheduled airline flights. With resumption of commercial flights on June 7, 2007, the airport has planned terminal improvements using a preconstructed modular building. However, these flights have since been canceled.
Portland International Airport's south runway was reopened in October 2011 after being completely rebuilt over the 2011 summer. The South Runway Reconstruction Project was the final phase of a three-year tarmac improvement program. The first two years focused on the north runway, with a complete rehabilitation of the existing surface and an extension to each end, allowing it to serve as an interim replacement for the south runway during rebuilding.
The construction project was completed on time and under budget. As the Portland airport's longest, the south runway had seen both routine maintenance and rehabilitation over the years, and the wear and tear of aircraft landings had finally deteriorated the pavement joints and subsurface base. The project team determined that the best long-term approach was to completely rebuild it. Pavement materials were evaluated as part of a life cycle cost analysis, and an all-concrete surface was identified as the preferred alternative. With a pavement design life of 40 years, construction-related aircraft noise impacts on neighborhoods will be lessened in the future.
The new concrete is 19 inches thick and used an estimated 180,000 square yards of materials—enough to pave a two-lane road for about 26 miles. The old asphalt runway, which was excavated in spring 2011, was completely recycled.
Read more about this topic: Portland International Airport
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