It’s 8,500 feet long, 150 feet wide, and 17 inches thick. But perhaps the most striking statistic associated with the new third runway at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is still to come—the time and money it is expected to save passengers and airlines by reducing flight delays.

Due to local weather conditions, Sea-Tac is forced to use only one of its two current runways as much as 44% of the time. The two existing runways are too close together to accommodate two landings during low visibility. The inconvenience and significant costs from the resulting delays affect everyone who depends on the Airport for travel. The new runway, which will lessen these delays by allowing staggered landings on two runways in all but the worst weather, is scheduled to begin operations in November 2008. While major paving is complete, additional paving, construction, signage, and FAA certifications are still in progress.

Of course, the construction was a major initiative that significantly affected the surrounding communities and environment. The Port took equally significant steps to mitigate these effects, including aggressive storm water management during construction, local wetlands restoration and replacement, and programs designed to significantly reduce aircraft noise for nearby homes and classrooms.