The Port of Portland joined local leaders, businesses and tenants at the Hillsboro Airport to celebrate a major milestone: a newly reconstructed main runway. On October 2, Hillsboro Mayor Steve Callaway cut the official ceremonial ribbon to mark the runway’s reopening after a four-month closure.
The Hillsboro Airport is the second busiest airport in Oregon. While the runway has been repaired and expanded since it was first constructed in the 1940s, years of stress from aircraft landings and taking-offs made reconstruction necessary.
Kodiak Pacific Construction, the prime contractor leading the runway reconstruction project, began work on June 3. In an impressive accomplishment, a closure that was originally scheduled for completion over three summers was completed in just four months over this summer. No other runways were closed during the reconstruction.
“The success of this monumental project was due to the collaboration of the whole team, internal and external,” said Kodiak president Sandy Trainor. Trainor also serves as a mentor for the Port of Portland’s Mentor Protégé Program, which pairs small businesses with mentors to help them develop strategic plans and do business with government agencies. Trainor is this year’s president for the Associated General Contractors (AGC) Columbia chapter representing over 800 members.
The Hillsboro Airport provides operations for several local corporations, including Nike and Intel. The Port of Portland relocated several business jet operators and nearly 20 large business jets to the Portland International Airport during the construction project. That includes relocating Intel’s air shuttle operation, which flies about 10,000 Intel employees each month. The Port also implemented a tenant mitigation program, which provided rent reduction and assistance with temporary relocation-related expenses during the closure.
“The success of this project is directly attributable to the five years of planning, design and tenant coordination that took place before our excellent contractor even moved the first bulldozer full of dirt,” said Stephen Nagy, senior general aviation manager at the Port of Portland.
The nearly $21 million project was funded in part by a $12.2 million grant from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Airport Improvement Program, which funds infrastructure improvements at many airports. The Port of Portland contributed the remaining funds for the project.
While unconnected to this summer’s runway reconstruction, the Port of Portland Commission approved the Hillsboro Airport Master Plan this spring, which recommended no changes to the airport’s runways, a replacement terminal building and exploring additional uses for undeveloped airport land.