Since the reconstruction of Runway 18-36 in 2005, cracking of the pavement had occurred at varying levels of severity. Some of the cracks experienced increased separation (greater than 1 inch wide) and began to show signs of erosion beneath the pavement edges. This erosion caused sloughing along the edges of the crack indicating a need for repair vs. crack filling. In addition, the Airport Manager noted that several of the transverse cracks were becoming an issue during snow removal as the plow was catching the edges of the cracks causing further damage. The “5010” safety inspection conducted by NHDOT Bureau of Aeronautics in November 2017 also noted cracks were approaching 1 inch in width and should be addressed as soon as possible.

This critical infrastructure project included roughly 6,000 linear feet of crack repair which involved the removal and reconstruction of an 18-inch-wide section of pavement centered over the crack. In addition, over 20,000 linear feet of crack sealing was completed on existing cracks that were generally less than 1 inch wide. Once the crack repairs and crack filling were complete, the entire runway was then treated with a P-608 asphalt surface treatment followed by the installation of new pavement markings. In addition, two obsolete runway hold signs were replaced with new LED units.

Off-Site Obstruction Removal Support

As part of the project, HEB also completed a thorough review of existing avigation easements and prepared an updated Exhibit A Property Location Plan. HEB also completed an obstruction survey on both runway ends to identify and locate existing penetrations to the primary surface. Following these efforts, HEB flagged the tree obstructions such that the Airport could coordinate with a local logging contractor to remove the obstructions within airport-controlled property. Ultimately, this effort provided revenue to the Airport to offset operations and maintenance costs.