Sea-Tac Airport’s longest runway is now closed through the end of 2018 to finish up construction ahead of the North Satellite Modernization project opening in 2019.
The Port of Seattle said there is the possibility of additional traffic during peak times but travelers should not notice any “major delays.”
Construction on runway "16L/34R," located nearest the terminal, is expected to finish in early December as long as the weather cooperates.
Residents in the neighboring area may see planes shifting patterns to the other two runways, according to the Port of Seattle.
Work on the runway includes "fixing expansion joints on the touchdown zones at each end of 16L/34R, relocating a taxiway connected to the runway, and upgrading the taxiways near the North Satellite."
During the runway closure period, Air Traffic Control can still utilize the runway to taxi aircraft to keep plane traffic flowing on the ground. But in some cases, the port says this came increase taxi time.
