Morrison-Maierle is proud to celebrate the Northeast Wyoming Regional Airport Runway 16/34 Pavement Maintenance Project as the Wyoming Airports Coalition’s 2026 Airport Project of the Year. Morrison-Maierle’s project team included Jarad Koltiska, Patrick Stetson, Tim Wick, Scott Bell, Edison Elder, Kyle Muck, Terra Zowada, and summer intern Kinley Anderson.

Working in close partnership with Northeast Wyoming Regional Airport in Gillette, Wyoming, and Powder River Construction, the team renewed the airport’s primary runway, finishing under budget and two days ahead of schedule.

Originally built in the 1980s, Runway 16/34 had provided approximately four decades of service, but its concrete pavement was showing increasing deterioration. Failing panels, damaged joints, concrete spalls, and drainage concerns threatened the long-term reliability of a runway that supports commercial airline service, business and corporate aviation, emergency operations, and general aviation. The airport began evaluating preservation options in 2022, including complete reconstruction, targeted rehabilitation, and an asphalt overlay.

When the Federal Aviation Administration determined that it would not support full reconstruction or an asphalt overlay, anticipated funding dropped from approximately $12 million to $5 million. The engineering team refined the scope to focus on the runway’s most critical needs and directed available funds toward the greatest value.

The resulting rehabilitation replaced approximately 90 failing concrete panels and more than 150,000 linear feet of joint sealant, repaired approximately 1,000 sq. ft. of spalled concrete, and reshaped runway shoulders to improve drainage. By preserving serviceable pavement, the team extended the runway’s useful life and delivered a solution without unnecessary replacement.

Runway 16/34 is the airport’s primary runway, and construction required a temporary suspension of commercial airline service to Gillette. Nearly two years before construction began, the airport and engineering team began coordinating with United Airlines to identify a closure window that would reduce impacts on travelers and the community.

The project was bid in 2025 for construction beginning in April 2026, giving the airport, engineer, and contractor time to coordinate sequencing, staffing, material procurement, schedules, and contingency plans before the 45-day closure began. The runway reopened on Day 43, restoring aircraft operations and commercial airline service two days earlier than planned. At just over $3 million, the final construction cost also came in well below the $5 million funding limit.