JBER looks to minimize noise impact due to runway closure

Tech Sgt. Joseph Austin, left, and Michael Nicholes perform maintenance on the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, flightline, Tuesday, July 1, 2014. JBER's primary runway, which runs east-to-west, is undergoing annual repairs until approximately July 18. As with roadways across the state, the Alaska climate often accelerates damage to airfield surfaces. The JBER airfield has only a four-month period, June through September, to conduct airfield runway, taxiway and ramp repair. The runway is used in more than two-thirds of JBER flights as it allows for the least noise impact on the greater Anchorage community. Residents near Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson may notice heightened noise levels during this time as aircraft utilize the north-south runway. (U.S. Air Force photo/Justin Connaher)

JBER looks to minimize noise impact due to runway closure

Ernest Scarborough,left, Tech Sgt. Johnathon Stone, and Michael Nicholes perform maintenance on the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, flightline, Tuesday, July 1, 2014. JBER's primary runway, which runs east-to-west, is undergoing annual repairs until approximately July 18. As with roadways across the state, the Alaska climate often accelerates damage to airfield surfaces. The JBER airfield has only a four-month period, June through September, to conduct airfield runway, taxiway and ramp repair. The runway is used in more than two-thirds of JBER flights as it allows for the least noise impact on the greater Anchorage community. Residents near Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson may notice heightened noise levels during this time as aircraft utilize the north-south runway. (U.S. Air Force photo/Justin Connaher)

JBER looks to minimize noise impact due to runway closure

Published July 3, 2014
By Air Force Staff Sgt. Wes Wright
JBER Public Affairs

JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska -- Residents near Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson may notice heightened noise levels, as maintenance activities on the flight line require the temporary closure of the east-to-west runway.

The east-to-west runway is used in more than two-thirds of JBER flights, as it allows for the least noise impact on the greater Anchorage community. However, with the runway closure that began Monday, aircraft must now exclusively utilize the north-south runway, which directs more traffic over Anchorage.

"When it gets to the summer months, we have about four months to do all the annual construction we need to do on the runways to keep them operational," said Air Force Lt. Col. Tony Simmons, 3rd Operations Support Squadron commander. "Typically we try to keep the traffic to a minimum on the north-south runway for that purpose, so that our community partners don't have to deal with the noise."

Runway maintenance will include panning, asphalt repair and barrier overhauls, as well as replacing runway incandescent lights with LED lights.

"These repairs are critical to the structural integrity of the flightline," said Ned Harshbarger, 673d Civil Engineer Squadron pavement engineer. "Without the annual maintenance on it, we'd have to take it down for even longer periods of time. The safety risks would be exponentially higher."

Harshbarger added JBER personnel are working quickly to complete the maintenance.
"Our goal is to get it done as soon as is humanly possible. We don't want a long, drawn-out process. Our Airmen and contractors are working very hard, putting in 14-to-16 hour days straight through the weekends."

Simmons pointed to the repairs as critical to ensure JBER is able to perform its missions.
"Obviously, we have training requirements, because we want to be ready to go when the nation calls us," Simmons said. "With the speeds that our aircraft take off at, we need to make sure the runways are good to go, because otherwise you're going to have things like blown tires that could cause some pretty serious damage to aircraft."

To help mitigate noise impact to the Anchorage community, the 3rd Wing employs a quiet-hour policy.

"We do have quiet hours, which are typically from about 10:30 p.m. until 6 a.m. during the week, then on the weekends and holidays, it's 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.," Simmons said. "If there are any concerns with the noise, we have a hotline set up: 552-JETS [5387]. Please call that hotline and leave your complaints with them. We take that seriously."

JBER officials predict the maintenance should be completed by July 18.