Crews perform overnight paving work as part of the Cyril E. King Airport runway rehabilitation project, which includes resurfacing, phased asphalt work, and planned lighting upgrades through year’s end. Photo Credit: VIPA.
The V.I. Port Authority says the rehabilitation of the Cyril E. King Airport runway is now underway, with overnight paving work beginning this week on the West Blast Pad as part of a phased project expected to continue through the end of the year.
According to VIPA, paving and rehabilitation of the Cyril E. King Airport runway began on Tuesday, April 28, 2026. The work is being carried out in phases, with the first phase focused on resurfacing the airport’s 7,000-foot runway. That process includes milling the top three inches of the existing asphalt pavement and applying a new three-inch layer of asphalt.
The project will also include electrical upgrades, including the installation of new LED runway and navigational lighting.
On May 5 and 6, paving work began on the West Blast Pad of the CEKA runway, with the runway closing to aircraft at 10:00 p.m. AST. VIPA said the Blast Pad area is being milled and overlaid in three sections, each approximately 200 feet long by 70 feet wide, with one section being completed each night.
The southernmost section has already been completed. That work involved milling approximately three inches of existing asphalt and overlaying it with three inches of new asphalt. Island Roads Corporation produced and placed 236 tons of asphalt during the nightly work.
Following the paving, temporary pavement markings were applied to the new asphalt surface. The runway reopened at 5:10 a.m. AST.
VIPA said work for the night of May 6 consisted of repaving a similarly sized section in the center portion of the Blast Pad. All work is scheduled to take place overnight from 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. each day.
A project progress graphic included with VIPA’s update shows 200 feet of partial-width asphalt paving completed to date, another 200 feet completed on the night of May 5, and 200 feet of partial-width paving planned for the night of May 6. The graphic lists the project as 1 percent complete.
VIPA said it will continue providing regular updates on the runway rehabilitation project to keep the community and traveling public informed.
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