Roadways usually get the brunt of attention during the summer construction season, but the completion of airport upgrades will benefit some important government-owned planes.
Buffalo Narrows’ runway repaving took 12 days, and cost $4.9 million.
“This particular airport is an important base for the provincial water bomber fleet and it was part of the ministry’s capital plan to rehabilitate the runway, taxis and aprons at both the Buffalo Narrows airport and Stoney Rapids airport this year,” said Sonja Orban, communications consultant with the ministry of highways.
Runways, taxiways, and aprons had construction work done. During the work, some flights could take off out of the airport, but others had to be diverted, she said.
Of northern Saskatchewan’s 17 government-owned airports, Buffalo Narrow’s is the second-busiest.
The fall will see some runway markings and painting done as well.
The project is one of two in which runway and apron work is funded by the province’s capital budget this year, with the other being at Stony Rapids.
In addition to the Buffalo Narrows work, crews completed a total of $20 million in major highways projects this week.