RIAC Announces Secondary Runway Rehabilitation-Primary Runway to Accommodate All Aircraft
Nominal Changes in Flight Path Volume Expected From September to January
WARWICK, RI – The Rhode Island Airport Corporation (RIAC) today announced that federally funded upgrades to T.F. Green Airport’s secondary Runway 16/34 are scheduled to begin the first week of September. During the period in which T.F. Green Airport’s secondary or “crosswind” runway is out of service for rehabilitation, the airport’s primary runway, Runway 5/23 will accommodate all flight traffic, which is already at reduced levels amid the COVID-19 crisis. Completion of Phase I of the runway project is expected in late December, 2020, with the final phase being complete at the end of 2021.
Currently both runways at T.F. Green Airport are in use, with the crosswinds Runway 16-34 typically accommodating 15% of arrivals and departures, which currently totals six or less commercial aircraft flights on a typical day. Throughout construction all aircraft approach and takeoff will be diverted to Runway 5/23.
As a result, residents north and south of the airport may recognize a slight increase in frequency of flights from Runway 5/23 during this period, although the total volume of flights utilizing Runway 5/23 is expected to remain well below pre-COVID-19 levels of 2019 for the foreseeable future. Meanwhile, residents to the east and west of T.F. Green Airport, the typical flightpath of Runway 16/34, may notice the decrease of flights until the crosswinds runway re-opens for use.
Although the volume of air travel at T.F. Green and airports throughout the nation currently remains approximately 20% of pre-COVID-19 levels, any change in air traffic can be noticeable to nearby residents. The project is expected to be completed by late 2021. A graphic of the runway flight paths can be found at https://tinyurl.com/Runway16-34.
Federal funding of $24.8 million for design and construction of this project was made possible due to Senator Reed’s effort to provide an additional $1 billion in airport improvement funding in the fiscal year 2018 transportation funding bill, as well as the continued advocacy of all in Rhode Island’s Congressional Delegation.
About T.F. Green Airport: A convenient and low-cost international gateway to New England, T.F. Green Airport (PVD) has a large catchment area with 7.5 million residents within 90 minutes of the airport. It attracts passengers from nearby Massachusetts and eastern Connecticut. PVD is located just outside of Providence, Rhode Island. Well known for ease of traveler access, affordable parking and short lines, T.F. Green Airport was named as one of USA Today’s “Readers’ Choice Best Small Airports” for 2020 and ranked #5 in Travel + Leisure Magazine’s “World’s Best” Survey of Top Domestic Airports.