Runway 17 Closed Beginning Sept. 6

Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) Runway 17/35 will be closed for up to six weeks for a runway safety area restoration project beginning on Sept. 6, 2022. The work for this project is intended to restore runway safety area slopes to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) specifications.

The runway safety area is the area adjacent to a runway that is designed to reduce the risk of airplane damage in the event of an aircraft excursion from the runway.

The safety area must be maintained so that it is clear of debris, and drained and graded so that it is able to support aircraft, snow removal equipment and aircraft rescue and firefighting operations. 

When one or more runways are closed at MSP, the arrivals and/or departures that would normally use that runway are directed by air traffic control to use an open runway. To ensure the safety of the construction crews and aircraft while Runway 17/35 is closed, aircraft will use Runways 12L/30R and 12R/30L (parallel runways).

Runway use and flight activity information are available on the MAC’s FlightTracker. Anyone with questions about runway closures may call the Community Relations Office at 612-726-9411.