The Middle Georgia Regional Airport (MCN) and Macon-Bibb County will hold a groundbreaking ceremony for the extension of Runway 5 on Tuesday, January 24th at the airport at 1000 Terminal Drive.

“This extension will provide so much opportunity for the growth at our airport and will make it more convenient for our current tenants,” says Mayor Lester Miller. “This is a project that has been in the works for many years and we are thrilled that it is finally happening.”

“The runway extension is important for a variety of reasons, such as improving safety for large aircraft operations, allowing for larger aircraft to land and take off at MCN with full payloads,” says Macon Bibb County Aviation Director Doug Faour. “It also makes the airport more attractive for commercial airline service to other destinations and increases air-service charter opportunities to other destinations.”

The first phase of the project will be the construction of a retaining wall near the approach end of Runway 5, which is in the southwest corner of airport property near Sardis Church Road. The estimated cost for the first phase is approximately $2 million and it’s being funded partially from the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) Highway Division.

The second phase of construction is the actual extension of the runway and the installation of an Engineered Materials Arresting System (EMAS). The extension should be completed in late 2024 or early 2025.