Runway reconstruction: paving Minot AFB's future

by Senior Airman Kristoffer Kaubisch
Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs

4/2/2014 -  MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- The runway on Minot Air Force Base, N.D., is scheduled to fully close, April 1, 2013, as the final phase of the three-phased runway reconstruction project begun in 2012 is completed.

During the runway's shutdown, eight B-52H Stratofortresses will be on temporary duty and operating out of Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., allowing the runway reconstruction project of the center keel section to begin.

Approximately 300 Airmen from Minot AFB traveled with the B-52s of the 23rd Bomb Squadron to Ellsworth AFB for maintenance and continued operations.

Ellsworth was a home for the B-52 until 1986, said Lt. Col. Gordon, 5th Operations Support Squadron commander. The infrastructure at Ellsworth is able to support B-52s because so much of the infrastructure and support elements remain in place.

"There hasn't been any additional cost for infrastructure development at Ellsworth AFB to accommodate the B-52s that we will have there," said Gordon.

The reconstruction project was one of the top infrastructure projects in the Air Force following a study done in 2011 in which the Air Force Civil Engineering Support Agency ranked Minot Air Force Base's runway as the worst in the Air Force out of 21 installations, with the quality of the runway being rated as "poor" during a study conducted in 2011.

The runway at MAFB was built in 1957 an originally intended for a 30-year service life.

According to officials, before 2012 it had an estimated five to seven years serviceable life left and required approximately $70 million in repairs.

In 2011, authorization was given for a three-phased reconstruction project on the runway, spanning over the following three years. As of 2014, the total monetary value for the reconstruction of the runway amounted to approximately $67 million.

"We've gotten fantastic use out of the runway for the past 50 years that they originally poured here," said Gordon. "It was essential to have that phenomenal runway that we had to land and take off the heavy bombers and the B-52s that we've had stationed here."

Gordon went on to say that the improvements that are being made to the runway will allow us to continue to operate from the base for at least another 50 years.

The runway reconstruction project entered its final phase, in which the runway's center section will be unearthed and cemented. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers awarded the $32.8 million contract to complete the final phase. This third phase will require the complete shutdown of the runway.

"To perform the required maintenance on their runway, Minot needed to move their B-52 fleet," said Col. Kevin Kennedy, 28th Bomb Wing commander. "Operating out of Ellsworth makes good sense in that it was the most affordable option, and we have a proven ability to host B-52 operations."

While at Ellsworth AFB, Minot aircrews will continue to train in all roles of the B-52, while integrating with the B-1s during missions.

"It's a really great opportunity for our air crews to be able to train on a daily basis with the B-1 Bomber crews that are stationed at Ellsworth," said Gordon. "It gives us an opportunity to interact and compare notes on how we employ and potentially make each other better."

Even though the runway will be closing, the airfield will still be open. The 5th Operation Support Squadron will continue to operate helicopters out of Minot AFB, supporting the 91st Missile Wing's nuclear deterrence mission. Some aircraft will remain at Minot AFB and will continue to be maintained and in a ready status if they need to be used for any reason. Several aircrews will also remain here.

"It's not very common for the Air Force to close down the only runway at one of its bases," said Gordon. "This is rather unprecedented for us, and we're making a lot of plans that we haven't seen at other bases in order to continue to operate and to make sure we have the capabilities we need for our infrastructure to maintain the air power mission for the B-52."

Ellsworth will be home to the Minot aircraft and Airmen until the runway reconstruction project is completed.

The B-52's are expected to return to Minot AFB upon completion of phase-3 of the project in October 2014.