Airport runway upgrades could mean more air traffic noise for some

Runway improvements at the Winnipeg airport could mean more air traffic noise for residents in some neighbourhoods over the next 14 weeks.

Runway 18/36, a north-south runway at James Armstrong Richardson International Airport, is getting a new asphalt surface, touchdown zone lights, and repairs to the localized land drainage system.

The $8.2-million rehabilitation project began on Monday and is expected to last until the end of July, according to the Winnipeg Airports Authority.

"Sort of like roadway systems, our runways experience general wear and tear with the weather and the extreme cold and everything," WAA spokesperson Felicia Wiltshire told CBC News.

"We always want to make sure that our runways are up to code and that they're safe for all of our planes that are landing."

The construction work means planes will be rerouted to Runway 13/31, which runs northwest-southeast, and Wiltshire said that means Winnipeggers may notice a shift in air traffic noise patterns.

"So especially towards the southeast part of the city, where they might not have heard as much plane traffic prior, over the next couple of months they might hear a lot more noise," she said.

The following neighbourhoods will experience more air traffic during the runway construction period:

• St. James (east).
• Tuxedo (east).
• River Heights.
• Wolseley (west).
• Fort Rouge (west).
• Fort Whyte (northeast).
• Fort Garry-Riverview.
• Riel.
• Fort Richmond.
• St. Vital.
• Southdale.
• Seine River.

These neighbourhoods are expected to hear less overhead air traffic during the construction period, according to the airports authority:

• The former Silver Heights area in St. James.
• Assiniboia (east).
• Kirkfield Park (east).
• Charleswood (east).
• Tuxedo (west).
• Tyndall Park (west).
• The Maples (west).

Airport officials say they are taking precautions to avoid excessive air traffic noise, but anyone who wants to report a noise disturbance can call the 24-hour noise line at 204-987-9403.

The last time the renovated runway was resurfaced was 11 years ago.