NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- Two days after a sinkhole forced the closure of a runway at LaGuardia Airport, officials said the runway will remain closed until at least Saturday because “possible areas of concern” required more repairs and inspections.
The sinkhole opened Wednesday morning on Runway 4/22, one of two runways at the airport. The runway was closed for repairs, leading to flight disruptions at the airport for the past two days.
The Port Authority, which operates the airport, said Friday morning that the closure will continue into the Memorial Day weekend after the potential problem spots were found.
“During investigatory inspections of LaGuardia’s airfield pavement Thursday using ground-penetrating radar, possible areas of concern were identified and proactively repaired,” officials said in a statement.
“Out of an abundance of caution, engineering crews are conducting additional inspections that necessitate the continued closure of Runway 4/22,” the statement continued.
Officials said crews expect to complete the surveys and any associated repairs by 6 a.m. on Saturday, when the runway is expected to reopen.
LaGuardia is still open for flights, but travelers should check with their airlines to make sure they’re not delayed or canceled.
As of 9:30 a.m. Friday, there were over 150 delays and a half-dozen cancelations at the airport, according to FlightAware.
