The main runway at Paine Field is scheduled to close for maintenance on Sunday morning, and is expected to remain out of service for up to nine days.
Work is expected to get underway on Runway 16R/34L at 7 a.m. July 1. It is scheduled to remain closed until 9 p.m. July 9, but will reopen as soon as work is completed.
“It is strictly maintenance and very necessary maintenance,” said Bruce Fisher, the airport’s deputy director for operations.
Crews will first remove rubber that has built up over the years along the 9,010-foot runway’s surface. That’s the result of hundreds of landings daily.
Cracks will be sealed and painted runway markings removed. After the prep work is completed, about 1.2 million-square-feet of runway surface will be coated with fog sealing.
“It is to extend the life of the asphalt,” said Brad Widrig, the airport’s operations supervisor.
The runway then will receive new painted markings. They are being moved and upgraded to meet current Federal Aviation Administration regulations.
Meanwhile, Taxiway Bravo closed in June. It is not scheduled to reopen until September. The taxiway, roughly 50 years old, has been torn up and is being realigned, a new design that meets current FAA regulations.