Round-the-clock runway construction has closed the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport to air traffic and cut into customer traffic at airport businesses.

The airport terminal is a quiet place these days. "We notice our regular traffic flow is down," said Judy Brandt, manager of The Landing Place restaurant in the terminal building.

Brandt estimated business is down 20 to 25 percent even with the influx of construction workers who have been eating at the restaurant.

Brandt also manages the Hertz car rental business at the airport, which typically draws many of its customers from those who arrive in Cape Girardeau by plane.

With the airport's two runways closed for construction, the car rental business has slowed.

"We have reduced our hours," she said. The car rental business now closes at 5 p.m. where previously it was open to 7:30 p.m. to accommodate commuter airline passengers.

The $3.5 million construction project began at 8 p.m. Sunday and will continue around the clock until Nov. 10 at 5 a.m., when the runways are expected to reopen to both commuter air travel and general aviation.

The federal government is paying 95 percent of the cost with the city paying the remainder. The project involves construction of a new taxiway, reconstruction of the intersection of the airport's two runways to improve drainage, cutting grooves in both runways to help drain storm water off the pavement and provide greater traction, earth work on the safety areas at the ends of the runways and restriping of both runways.

The contractor has managed to keep on schedule despite the recent rain, said airport manager Bruce Loy.

Construction workers have been breaking up the existing concrete at the intersection of the two runways and hauling in loads of rock to provide a better base for new concrete pavement that will be poured, Loy said.

"We have about 30 trucks running constantly," he said. "I have been extremely happy with the work."

More workers coming

About 50 people currently are employed on the project. The contractor plans to boost that number to about 90 within the next few days, Loy said.

While most businesses have managed to remain open at the airport, Cape Air Charter temporarily has moved its planes to the Perryville, Mo., airport.

Cape Air Charter's Tiffany Kilburn, however, continues to handle paperwork at the company's Cape Girardeau airport office. "It's pretty slow," she said.

Airport employee Derrick Irwin normally supervises refueling operations. But with no air traffic, Irwin and his crew are keeping busy doing maintenance and refueling helicopters, which don't need the runways to land.

American Connection, the commuter airline, is shuttling some customers to the St. Louis airport by van so they can make connecting flights.

mbliss@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 123