Airport runway construction will bring added noise to downtown residents

Downtown Minneapolis and Highland Park neighborhood residents in St. Paul will notice more aircraft noise starting Tuesday when reconstruction of the north runway at Minneapolis-St. Paul International airports begins.

Metropolitan Airports spokeswoman Melissa Scovronski said rebuilding the 3,800-foot midsection of the northern parallel runway will take about two-and-half months.

"People living in Minneapolis, downtown or working down there will experience more aircraft coming overhead," Scovronski said. "The neighborhood of Highland Park and points northeast of that they will receive more aircraft overhead, especially when they are arriving from that area."

However, Scovronski said the diversions won't be bad for everyone.

"The good news is while the runway is being reconstructed there's a portion of south Minneapolis residents [that] will see an absolute decrease in their overhead aircraft operations, as well as in Mendota Heights."

Scovronski said the $17.5 million runway rebuild is the final portion of the long-running airport expansion project. The $3.1 billion rebuild of the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport began in 1999.