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Kenai Airport to close primary runway this summer; temporary runway likely limited to VFR under FAA guidance
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Summary
HDL Engineering Consultants told the Kenai Airport Commission Jan. 8 that the primary runway will be closed for summer 2026 rehabilitation and Taxiway Alpha (about 6,000 feet by 75 feet) will be used as a temporary runway. The FAA has recommended VFR-only operations for the temporary runway; city and HDL say they are seeking further FAA input on possible temporary instrument procedures.
Eric Jort of HDL Engineering Consultants updated the Kenai Airport Commission Jan. 8 on a runway rehabilitation project planned for summer 2026, saying the city will close the primary runway because of failing pavement and an outdated lighting system and use Taxiway Alpha as a temporary runway.
"We will be shutting down the primary runway," Jort told commissioners, and said Taxiway Alpha "will be used as the temporary runway" and would be marked with temporary runway markings and temporary lighting. He said the parallel taxiway is currently "just over 6,000 feet and 75 feet wide." The design and contractor procurement work is complete; Jort said a preconstruction kickoff meeting with the contractor is planned the following week and that construction administration staff will be on site from roughly April through October.
Commissioners pressed whether temporary instrument flight procedures (IFPs), or at least circling/GPS approaches with lower minimums, could be established for the temporary runway. Jort said the FAA review of the project's construction, safety and phasing plan has recommended keeping the temporary runway to visual flight rules (VFR) operations only. "One of the conditions that they gave us as part of approving the safety plan was that they wanted to keep the temporary runway as VFR conditions only," Jort said, and added HDL and the city are continuing to pursue FAA input on whether temporary IFPs are possible.
Jort named FAA contacts involved in the review: Lawson Boardley, the Kenai Airport project manager, and Janelle Brinkman, the lead civil engineer for the airport district's office. He said Lawson's team reviewed the construction safety and phasing plan and recommended VFR limits. Jort said he hopes to have more information for commissioners by the February meeting after further calls with FAA and the city.
The city and HDL plan to maintain a project website and printed flyers at the airport manager's office with construction status and a QR code for updates. HDL staff urged airport users and leaseholders to provide input to the project team and said additional in-person briefings with the contractor and HDL personnel are planned before construction begins.
The commission did not take a final procedural action on project approvals at the Jan. 8 meeting; Jort said substantive schedule details will be available after the preconstruction meeting and that the contractor will provide a more specific start date and phasing plan.
