Cheyenne Regional Airport experiencing construction delays, hopeful to re-open before the holidays

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (Wyoming News Now) - The Cheyenne Regional Airport has commercial flights on pause during the construction of the runway. The project was originally estimated to be completed during the summer.

Director of Aviation, Tim Barth, said the airport has been experiencing setbacks in the process, due to labor shortages and supply chain complications following the pandemic.

A nationwide shortage of concrete approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) put the construction of the runway behind schedule, and a lack of workers is making the process take months longer to complete.

“We were hoping to have this runway done in July, it doesn’t look like we are going to have it done now until about November. We are really struggling on the close-out, if you can see behind me, the little work that we have left; we are really having difficulties getting the materials shipped to the airport so that we can mix the concrete and get it down. We are hoping that by next week, we will be able to make a decision and hopefully we will be able to tell the community we will have the airport open for the holidays,” said Barth.

Barth added, they will have a better estimate in ten working days of when the airport will be able to safely operate for commercial flights.