The South St. Paul Municipal Airport (SGS), also known as Fleming Field, is located in St. Paul, Minnesota. It relies on Runway 16/34 as its only runway, supporting the historic aircraft of the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) Minnesota Wing and several vital aviation businesses. After three decades of service, the runway needed reconstruction to replace the deteriorating pavement while minimizing disruptions to airport operations.
In late 2018, the City, in partnership with SEH, launched a Triggering Event Master Plan (TEMP). This plan aimed to study the runway inventory, produce a five-year aviation activity forecast, identify critical aircraft, and develop future taxiway and runway geometry alternatives. The TEMP also helped identify and justify the length and width of Runway 16/34 and the width and design standards of Taxiway A. Key steps included early and frequent coordination with the project team, which consisted of airport personnel, agencies, and SEH.
The extensive planning study portion of the project led the team to choose an August construction timeline for the runway to take advantage of longer daylight hours, better weather conditions, and no planned airport events. Initial project team meetings were held in January of 2022 to begin discussing specific construction methods and schedules.
SEH was on-site daily during construction to monitor progress, guide the contractor, ensure an on-time and successful project, and establish a schedule and phasing plan that worked for all parties while maintaining safety standards. Clear communication and coordination were essential with all project stakeholders, including the construction team, airport users, Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT,) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The team utilized a paving technique that uses two machines simultaneously, known as echelon paving, which enabled continuous work on the runway within the tight schedule. This process prevented cold joints, which can lead to weak spots in pavement caused by an interruption or delay in the paving process. As a result, the team was able to reconstruct the airport's sole runway in 18 days, phasing and reopening the runway on schedule to minimize impact on users.
This project is an excellent model of how airport sponsors and consultants can collaborate from the early master planning stages through project construction to develop and implement innovative solutions. Now, the airport is well-positioned to continue serving an essential role in the region as relief for Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport and the home of the CAF and several successful aviation businesses.
Project
Runway 16/34 Reconstruction
Location
South Saint Paul, Minnesota
Client
City of South Saint Paul
Features
Services