Cortez Municipal Airport closed its runway Saturday to begin an $8.6 million rehabilitation project that includes a new overlay, grooved surfacing and lighting upgrades to modernize infrastructure, enhance safety and extend the runway’s lifespan by up to 30 years.
Denver Air Connection passenger flights were halted during the closure, though an employee remained at the ticket counter Friday at the Cortez main terminal. Emergency helicopter flights remained operational.
Airport Manager Jeremy Patton said the airline halted ticket sales for the closure in May.
“Denver Air Connection stopped selling tickets for the closure period back in May when we confirmed the construction schedule. It was left up to them whether they would operate out of another airport or not at all,” he said.
“Passengers have not been able to book flights since the spring, and by default have had to book out of Durango, Farmington, Albuquerque, Telluride, Montrose, etc., at their discretion,” he said.
Patton said Denver Air Connection is reassessing its schedule, and the airport is exploring earlier flights to Denver based on passenger demand.
“There is more to come on that as we near the end of October,” he said.
The federally funded project, supported by state and local grants, will keep the runway closed through Oct. 24. Crews will mill and overlay 4 inches of asphalt on the runway and taxiway connectors, install grooved surfacing to improve aircraft braking and drainage, and replace aging navigational aids.
Additional upgrades include converting runway lighting to energy-efficient LED systems, installing a new electrical vault with a backup generator, and relocating the center windsock and segmented circle. Millings from the runway will be reused to improve access roads along the airport’s perimeter fence.
Patton said the current runway surface, though still safe for operations, is more than 12 years overdue for maintenance. The last major runway construction at the airport occurred in the late 1990s.
“Old Castle Group, SW, d.b.a Four Corners Materials is the prime contractor on the project, and our engineering firm is Garver LLC out of Denver,” Patton said.
Local matching funds for the project come from American Rescue Plan Act allocations made in 2023 for airport improvements. Those funds are expected to be spent by the end of 2025.
While the October closure suspends operations, additional work planned for spring 2026 – including electrical upgrades and final asphalt grooving – will require about 30 overnight closures. Patton said those are expected to have minimal impact on airline schedules and daily flight operations.
