JFK runway gets upgrade

From the Queens Chronicle:

One of the longest commercial airport runways in the United States — Kennedy International Airport’s 13R-31L — is about to receive a major makeover.

With the upcoming awarding of the JFK Airport Runway Reconstruction Contract on June 26 and start of construction shortly thereafter, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey will implement the second phase of its $376.3 million JFK Delay Reduction Program, a time-saving plan designed to provide easier access from taxiways to terminal gates. The second phase will involve the reconstruction and widening of the congested runway, which measures 14,572 feet, or 2.8 miles, in length and handles about a third of the airport’s annual operations, including more than half of all departures. The project is expected to support more than 2,500 jobs, including 1,000 construction jobs at peak development, airport officials said.