The Long Beach Airport has announced that Runway 7L-25R officially reopened for aircraft operations on Thursday. The community is advised that said operations will be reinstated in an area that hasn’t experienced aircraft activity in over a year.
After 20 years of use, the runway was closed in February 2014 for required routine maintenance and reconstruction. The improvements that were made will enhance the safety and extend the runway’s life for approximately 30 years, according to LGB. The airport will now have three active runways, with the most recently renovated to relieve traffic on the other two runways.
In September of 2013, LGB was awarded a $15.1 million grant from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the largest ever received by the airport, to repave the strip and add new lighting signage and draining, among other improvements.