MSP Airport closes runway for lighting upgrade

Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport has closed one of its four runways for six weeks to replace its electrical system and install more energy-efficient lighting.

Runway 17-35 was closed on September 8 for the project, which also includes the connected taxiways. The closure is not expected to disrupt air travel, although people living near the airport could notice changes in flight patterns.

The airport has four runways and 19 taxiways, giving air traffic controllers enough flexibility to direct aircraft to other runways while the work is underway. Drivers on Highway 77 will also notice that there will be no runway activity in the area during the closure.

The project includes the installation of 436 runway lights and 617 taxiway lights. The existing halogen fixtures will be replaced with LED lighting, reducing power consumption while maintaining the same brightness.

The new runway lights will use 50 watts instead of 120 watts, while taxiway lights will drop from 45 watts to 15 watts. The electrical current required will also fall from 20 amps to 6.6 amps. The LED fixtures are expected to last around 25 times longer than the old halogen lights.

The upgrade is the final stage of a multi-year project to replace lighting across all four runways at MSP. Taxiway lighting and signage on Runway 4-22 were converted to LED in 2019, followed by Runway 12L-30R in 2024 and Runway 12R-30L in 2025.