Sea-Tac Runway Nears Reopening as Runway Designation Markers Are Painted Compass Headings "34R" Completed on South End Today

Painters today completed one of the most visible elements of the runway reconstruction project at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport as the sixty-foot designator marking "34R" was painted on the south end of the runway. The painting is part of the finishing touches on the project which is scheduled to reopen by the end of the month.

The north end's "16L" designator marking will be completed tomorrow. In all, over 3,000 gallons of paint are being used for all of the striping on the 11,900 foot runway.

The new runway is scheduled to open 12:01 a.m. Sunday, September 27 for day-time, good weather use. The FAA will conduct flight checks beginning Sunday and is expected to open the runway in full use by the end of the week.

Located at each end of the runway for identification by approaching aircraft, runway markings will read 16L on the north end and 34R on the south end. Numbers are determined by the compass location of the runways and their alignment with the two other runways (right, center, and left).

More Details

The original runway was built in 1944 and extended several times to reach the current size of 11,900 feet. The reconstruction project completes a comprehensive rebuilding of the entire runway - from runway lights to the concrete pavement itself. The new 20-inch thick runway, and adjoining taxiways, required 120,000 cubic yards of concrete. In comparison, 65,000 cubic yards of concrete was used for the Third Runway [only 8,500 feet long and 17-inches thick].

Some Additional Project Facts

16L/34R is the oldest runway
The last overlay was in 1992 and has exceeded its design life
The concrete from the original 1944 runway was recycled by crushing it into gravel and used as the sub base for the new runway. More than 60,000 cubic yards of concrete was crushed on site
120,000 cubic yards of new concrete was used to create the new runway and taxiways. In comparison, 65,000 cubic yards of concrete was used for the Third Runway [only 8,500 feet long and 17-inches thick]
100,000 cubic yards of asphalt was milled and trucked off-site, which equates to 12,500 dump truck loads [at 8cy/truck]. 60,000 tons of new asphalt was brought onto the site
20,000 linear feet of new storm drain pipe was installed
20,000 linear feet of new electrical ductbank was installed
The new runway consists of 12 inches of crushed rock sub base, 4 inches of asphalt treated base, and 20 inches of portland cement concrete for the runway
Over 500,000 pounds of metals were salvaged from the old runway, equal to the takeoff weight of a Boeing 777
Funding: $20 million from FAA grants and the rest from revenue bonds sold in 2005. About $2 million of the total cost will be for installation of takeoff hold lights, constructed by the Port and paid for by FAA