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The LaGrange-Callaway Airport is expecting some interruptions to its major runway as work is being done to refurbish a taxiway at the airport.

About a year ago, Troup County began designs to refurbish Taxiway Alpha at the airport using grant funding. Taxiway Alpha is the taxiway that carries aircraft from the approach end or departure end of runway 13/31. Plans include the replacement of all taxiway lights from incandescent to LED lights, along with some refurbishment of the asphalt.

Airport Manager Troy Anderson said at the time, during early design discussions, they weren’t quite sure how much federal money was available for the project.

“We weren’t sure we were going to get to do the entire, or to what extent, we were going to do the Taxiaway Alpha asphalt refurbishment. But we know now it’s very limited,” Anderson said.

The design was completed in December to meet Department of Transportation (DOT) specifications. Less than a month later, DOT came back and requested that additional elements be added to the design.

Because of the scope changes requested, an estimated additional $25,616 is needed for the project.

Anderson said DOT has agreed to pay for a full reimbursement of the $25,616, which will be paid for out of local airport funds and later reimbursed.

The airport will remain open during the construction, but it may cause some interruptions.

“We have two sets of two crossing runways, so during daylight hours, for the most part, the amount of traffic that we get, we’ll be able to still maintain that traffic inbound and outbound. What is going to be inhibited to a certain degree is the inclement weather, when cloud decks are really low, it’s overcast and at night,”

Runway 13/31, the major runway, has night landing and taxiway lights. Anderson said there will be limited periods when the major runway will be down.

“When some of that work is completed, that runway will be closed for a small portion. We’ve made efforts to ensure that all of our tenants, who fly big aircraft that need that, fly a lot after hours and in inclement weather. They’re aware that this is coming. We’ll work closely, hand in hand with them.”

The work could take upwards of four months, but the timeframe is also weather-dependent.

“We’ve requested roughly 120 days. All that is weather-dependent and that seems to be fairly aggressive. But we’ll work with Mother Nature and work with the tenants and the inbound and outbound aircraft,” Anderson said.

Everyone can still land. They just might be a little uneasy about landing on the smaller runway, Anderson said.

The change order was unanimously approved by the Board of Commissioners.