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NORTHERN REGION
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Point Hope Airport Realignment

Project No. 3-02-0226-006-2022/Z638420000


Caption: Construction progress as of October 2023.
The wider runway is the new construction and the narrow one is the existing runway.

This project is to realign the Point Hope Runway. The purpose of this project is to reduce further erosion from damaging the airport.

The Point Hope Airport Realignment project is needed to reestablish the Runway Safety Area (RSA) which is being eroded on the north end and to replace the aging pavement that needs reconstruction based on a 2014 Pavement Inspection. The north shore of the Lisburne Peninsula, where Point Hope is located, has a recorded erosion rate of 8-10 feet per year! This has already removed the northern end of the RSA and is threatening the runway, leaving only 20 feet of RSA beyond the runway threshold.

To mitigate further erosion, the runway will be realigned approximately 13.4 degrees east, over 500 feet from the furthest extent of the erosion, to be more in line with orientation of the spit it is located on.

Work on this project includes:

  • Construct a new paved Runway 3/21 and safety area on a rotated alignment of 13.4 degrees east of the existing runway
  • Realign the taxiway to coincide with the new runway alignment.
  • Repave the existing apron
  • Construct new airport lighting, signage, and markings
  • Replace existing vertical approach slope indicators (VASIs) with precision approach path indicators (PAPIs)
  • Demolish the existing runway and associated electrical improvements
  • Replaced the Electrical Equipment Building (EEB)
  • Replace segmented circle

Current construction activity currently includes fill placement, removal of existing structures, installation of electrical, and archaeological monitoring. The airport is currently operating under the NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) of nightly closures from 6pm to 8am. There will be a 3-day complete closure of the airport on July 15 at 6pm to July 18 at 8am.

This project is being constructed in cooperation with the Federal Aviation Administration, the City of Point Hope, and ASRC Civil Construction, LLC.