"DIA's 6th Runway Complete"

Thursday, September 26, 2002

DIA's 6th Runway Complete
New Runway Will Allow For More Flights
KMGH - ABC TV Channel 7, Denver (CO)


DENVER -- Denver International Airport's sixth runway, longer than the
others, is now fully paved. 

The 3-mile, 200-foot runway will allow more flights to leave Denver
during bad weather, allow long flights to carry more weight and handle
the next generation of super-jumbo jets, DIA officials said. 

City officials hope it also will lure additional international flights. 

Crews working on the $166 million project began May 23. It took them 41
days to lay nearly 1 million square yards of 17-inch-deep concrete for
the runway. 

The sixth runway sits northwest of the airport's concourses, parallel to
an existing north-south runway. DIA's east-west runways often are
unusable during northerly winter storms, with planes able to take off
and land only to the north, into the wind, according to airport
officials. 

DIA's five runways each are 12,000 feet long and 150 feet wide. 

The sixth runway was included in the original airport plans, but had to
be shaved to save money. 

The next step is to work on taxi ways and connectors. That project will
be finished late next year, DIA said.


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