Half Moon Bay Airport will close all air traffic starting next week for repaving and other improvements.
San Mateo County said the airport will be closed from Monday, August 14, through Friday, August 18, so workers can fill cracks, apply sealant and paint new markings on the runway pavement.
“Just like the street in front of your house, our runways eventually wear down and need care,” said Gretchen Kelly, airport manager for the county Department of Public Works, which serves the Half Moon Bay and San Carlos airports. “It’s just that our ‘street’ requires us to move some planes.”
While the airport will be closed to all air traffic, on-site businesses, including the Pilot Light Café in Half Moon Bay, will remain open during regular business hours.
The Federal Aviation Administration requires airports to maintain runways and taxiways in a safe condition and is funding 90 percent of the project costs, which total about $13 million. The remainder is covered by airport user and business fees.
Half Moon Bay Airport, built in 1942 for the U.S. military, is home to about 80 aircraft and several aviation-related businesses. It also provides a number of emergency response services, such as medical evacuation flights, security patrols and Coast Guard maritime rescue operations.
Following the work at Half Moon Bay, San Carlos Airport will be closed from Monday, September 11 through Tuesday, October 11 to repair significant pavement edge cracks at the runway and taxiway connectors.
Maintenance work also includes stabilizing soil on infields, improving drainage, replacing lighting, signs and other electrical equipment, and finally sealing and repainting the tracks.
Following the full closure, officials said periodic taxiway closures or overnight closures may be necessary for up to 30 days, however, hangar access and routes to and from the runway will remain open for daytime operations.
Businesses, including the Sky Kitchen restaurant, will remain open during construction, as will the control tower.
San Carlos Airport was built in 1948 and is home to approximately 500 aircraft and more than 25 aviation-related businesses. Last year, the airport generated more than 100,000 aircraft operations, half of which were business-related or revenue-generating. Like Half Moon Bay, San Carlos Airport also provides emergency services.
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