Cheektowaga, N.Y. (WBEN) - The second of three phases of rehabilitation to the main runway of the Buffalo Niagara International Airport is complete. The completed work will allow for a reduction in noise for neighbors who have been dealing with changes in flight patterns.
Bryce Collins with the Buffalo Niagara International Airport says things went well to the point the runway was completed a day early. A United Airlines flight from Washington, D.C. was the first to arrive on the rehabilitated runway.
"We went very deep down into the ground, pulled up all the old concrete and pavement, and we basically rebuilt the runway from scratch," said Collins in an interview with WBEN.
There is still one more phase to this project to rehabilitate Runway 5-23.
"We have to do some taxiway work next to the terminal. That should be a fairly quick and easy project compared to what we've gone through the last couple years and then nothing official, really, after that," Collins added.
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The airport was able to use the crosswind secondary runway, so there was very little disruption to the passenger experience at the airport. Collins says it did affect some flights, though.
"We temporarily lost our service to Los Angeles on JetBlue, but excited to announce that that is returning in October, so we're really excited for that to be back," he said.
The next reconstruction may not happen for some 40-to-45 years.