Norfolk International Airport’s primary runway has returned to full service following a phased rehabilitation effort that replaced older concrete surfaces with new asphalt that can better support ORF’s operational needs for up to 20 years. The phases combined to create a $65 million project that was financed through a combination of federal Airport Improvement Program grants; funding from the Virginia Department of Aviation; as well as Passenger Facility Charges paid by travelers who have flown in and out of ORF.
“These runway improvements directly affect our ability to maintain safe and efficient operations,” said Mark Perryman, President & Chief Executive Officer of the Norfolk Airport Authority. “The new asphalt ends of Runway 05/23 offer a smoother surface for departing and arriving aircraft, and of greater importance, they’re more easily repairable whenever runway maintenance may be needed in the future. In tandem with several previous projects that improved the middle portions of the runway, ORF’s airfield is in fantastic shape and will continue to meet our region’s aviation needs for many more years to come.”
Runway 05/23 extends 9,001 feet and can serve most commercial airliners including those flying nonstop to destinations across the continental United States, as well as the Caribbean and Western Europe.
ORF handles more than 75,000 takeoffs and landings per year with just one commercial runway; taking even a portion offline for an extended period requires careful planning to minimize disruptions to airline and cargo operations. Airport planners also had to schedule all runway rehabilitation to occur between the spring and fall months to ensure all navigation equipment and the full runway length were available for winter weather conditions.
Airport planners overcame those challenges by splitting the project into phases including two that enabled major improvements to the 1,500-foot-long concrete ends of the runway. Work on the runway’s northern end took place from April through November 2023. The final phase addressed the southern end between April and November 2024.
The runway’s concrete ends were rubblized, or crushed and left in place, to serve as the base for a hot mix asphalt overlay that serves as the runway’s new surface material. This prevented more than 33,000 cubic yards of waste from being hauled by truck to nearby landfills, eliminating the 263,000 miles of road traffic, 52,000 gallons of consumed fuel and 460 tons of CO2 emissions that would have resulted had those truck trips occurred.
Prior to the two major asphalt replacements in 2023 and 2024, workers replaced centerline lights, reconstructed portions of taxiways and made other related improvements to the runway’s center 6,000 feet during 2018 and 2020. Much of the work occurred overnight after the conclusion of scheduled daily flights, a practice that also minimized the construction’s impact on airlines and travelers.
The primary contractor for the Runway 05/23 rehabilitation was Virginia Paving Company, a subsidiary of Eurovia, with assistance from Kimley-Horn Engineering, Flight Tech Engineering and Atlantic Electric, among other partner contractors. At peak construction, more than 100 skilled laborers were at work on the job site. The project was one of several in the airport’s ongoing “TransformORF” capital improvement program that encompasses nearly $1 billion in additions and enhancements to the regional airport serving Hampton Roads, Virginia’s Eastern Shore, and parts of northeastern North Carolina.
