Local
Midway closes runway safety barrier for repairs, with work expected through Nov. 1
Chicago aviation officials have closed Runway 22 at Midway after damage to its arresting barrier prompted immediate repairs. The closure could cause flight delays while crews work with the FAA to manage airport operations.
A runway at Chicago Midway International Airport was closed Monday after damage to a safety barrier led the Chicago Department of Aviation to call for immediate repairs, a move one aviation expert described as highly unusual.
The closure affects Runway 22. The department said the Engineered Materials Arresting System, or EMAS, at the departure end of Runway 22L was damaged by recent aircraft activity, including jet blast. Officials expect repairs to be finished by Nov. 1.
EMAS is made of crushable cellular concrete. If a plane overruns a runway, the material gives way beneath its wheels and helps slow the aircraft. The Department of Aviation is coordinating with the Federal Aviation Administration on flight operations during the work. Passengers should check with their airlines for delays or schedule changes before heading to the airport.
Joe Schwieterman, a DePaul University aviation expert, said he had not heard of a runway closing so abruptly in decades of following aviation. He said Midway has operational redundancies and should be able to manage, though the closure could have ripple effects.
The system is an important safety feature at Midway, where space for longer runways is limited. Its installation followed a 2005 Southwest Airlines crash: during a snowstorm, a plane overshot the runway and struck cars near 55th Street and South Central Avenue. The crash injured 12 people and killed 6-year-old Joshua Woods.
A recent study cited in the report put the expected lifespan of EMAS systems in cold climates such as Chicago at about 20 years. Midway’s system was installed the year after the crash, making repairs a significant test of the airport’s safety infrastructure.