Base closes runway for summer repairs Published July 2, 2008 By Staff Sgt. Jared Marquis 3rd Wing Public Affairs ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska -- On July 7, the main runway here will close until Aug. 26 while it gets necessary maintenance and repairs. This closure will affect base flying operations, and areas of the community will be exposed to different noise levels during the summer. The construction will necessitate using Elmendorf's alternate runway for all operations, except for the E-3 AWACS, which will fly out of Ted Stevens International Airport and some airlift and tanker aircraft not able to use the shorter runway. Using the alternate runway, commonly called the north-south runway, changes the noise patterns. The Government Hill area will notice reduced noise, and the Mountain View and Muldoon areas of town will hear more jet noise than normal. Landings will be quieter as pilots will use lower power settings, and practice landings will be kept to a minimum. The base does not plan to conduct any Operational Readiness Exercises during this time, when flying operations begin early in the morning and end later at night. With the abundance of local air traffic in the Anchorage area, base operators have coordinated air traffic control pattern changes to mitigate safety issues. "We are very pleased with the cooperation with the local Federal Aviation Association and Merrill Field," said Lt. Col. John Fair, director of operations for 3rd Operations Support Squadron. The need for the closure results from a report by the Air Force Civil Engineer Support Agency identifying the need to improve the skid resistance on the East/West Runway. "This requires the existing concrete on the runway to be grooved," said Dan Eckert, a pavements engineer for the 3rd CES. "While that is being done, there will also be isolated concrete slab replacement and joint sealant replacement." Overall the repairs will increase the safety of the runway for Elmendorf's flying operations.