Runway at Newark Liberty Int’l Airport to reopen 13 days early after accelerated rehabilitation
NEWARK, N.J. — A major runway at Newark Liberty International Airport will reopen Monday, June 2 — 13 days ahead of schedule — following an accelerated rehabilitation project, Gov. Phil Murphy and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced Friday.
Runway 4L-22R had been closed for construction since April 15 as part of a $121 million project to meet Federal Aviation Administration safety standards. The Port Authority expedited the schedule by deploying additional crews, expanding work shifts, and operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
“With the runway completed, we’ll continue our work to harden the telecoms infrastructure and improve the staffing pipeline for the airspace,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy said in a statement, praising the early completion ahead of the busy summer travel season.
Governor Murphy commended the round-the-clock efforts, saying, “New Jersey will do all we can to support plans from the USDOT to modernize our air traffic control system and fully staff air traffic controllers.”
Port Authority officials noted that the early reopening of Runway 4L-22R will help relieve pressure on Newark Liberty’s two remaining operational runways — 4R-22L and 11-29 — which were strained by FAA staffing and operational challenges during the closure.
Runways are typically rehabilitated every 10 years. The 11,000-foot Runway 4L-22R was last resurfaced in 2014 and showed significant wear. The current project included milling and paving, upgrading lighting systems to LED, replacing underground electrical infrastructure, and improving drainage.
While the full reopening marks a major milestone, additional closures will continue overnight on weekdays through the end of the year, and on weekends from September to December, as the project’s remaining work is completed. Final project completion is expected by the end of 2025.
Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole credited the early completion to “extraordinary commitment and around-the-clock efforts,” while Executive Director Rick Cotton emphasized the agency’s continued support for FAA modernization efforts.
The runway rehabilitation is part of the Port Authority’s broader multi-billion-dollar investment in Newark Liberty, which includes airfield improvements, the 2023 opening of a new Terminal A, and a future AirTrain Newark system.
For now, with Runway 4L-22R returning to service, airport operations are expected to improve significantly beginning Monday.
