Cape Girardeau airport prepares for taxiway project without flight disruptions

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KBSI) — A construction project at Cape Girardeau Regional Airport is set to begin in early June, but officials say it won’t impact flight services.

Reconstruction of Taxiway Delta, one of the airport’s aging pavement sections, is scheduled to start the week of June 2. The taxiway connects to the main runway and is primarily used by general aviation aircraft.

“The pavement was getting in really bad condition, starting to fall apart,” said Airport Manager Jo Jo Stuart. “You can’t have little debris that basically can get flung up and potentially be hazardous to aircraft.”

Initial plans called for a 10 day closure of the main runway, but the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has since approved overnight work to avoid disruption of airline service.

“Luckily the FAA has agreed we can work at night,” Stuart said. “So we don’t interrupt airline service.”

With only a limited number of commercial flights each day, any disruption could have had a impact.

“It’s not like we have a lot to begin with,” Stuart said. “Any one interruption every day for 10 days would definitely impact a lot of people.”

The project is expected to continue through the fall, depending on weather conditions. A second project, focused on Taxiway Echo Foxtrot, may move forward next year depending on the availability of federal funding.

“We’re kind of getting low on federal funding,” Stuart said. “So that may have to wait until spring, summer, or even fall of next year.”

Airport officials say they will monitor weather conditions closely and provide updates throughout construction. For now, no flight delays are expected.