At Our Airports
Lake Elmo Airport (21D), Lake Elmo, Minnesota. MAC Photo
Phase 2 of Lake Elmo Airport Improvements Underway LAKE ELMO, MINN. – Upon the completion of the Lake Elmo Long-Term Comprehensive Plan (LTCP) in 2016 and a joint Environmental Assessment/Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EA/EAW) in 2018, construction of Lake Elmo Airport (21D) improvements began in late 2019. The improvements at Lake Elmo Airport include the following elements: • Relocate and extend Runway 14/32 to 3,500 feet. • Realign 30th Street North around the relocated runway protection zone and reconnect to the existing intersection with Neal Avenue. • Construct a new cross-field taxiway to serve the new Runway 14 end. • Convert the existing runway to a parallel taxiway and construct other taxiways as needed to support the relocated runway. • Reconstruct and extend crosswind Runway 4/22 to 2,750 feet. • Upgrade instrument approach to use newer technology. The construction activity is divided into three phases: • Phase 1: Realign 30th Street North between Manning Avenue and Neal Avenue (November 2019 through July 2020). • Phase 2: Construction of new Runway 14/32 and grading for taxiways, electrical work (Fall 2020 through Summer 2021). • Phase 3: Completion of new Runway 14/32 and taxiways and convert existing runway to parallel taxiway, completion of electrical work, construction of a new service road (Fall 2021 through Summer 2022). Note: This phase may be split into two separate phases. Lake Elmo Airport is one of six reliever airports to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and is owned and operated by the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC). The other reliever airports include St. Paul Downtown, Flying Cloud, Anoka County-Blaine, Crystal, and Airlake (MetroAirports.org). 38 DECEMBER 2020/JANUARY 2021 MIDWEST FLYER MAGAZINE