Juneau's only runway closes overnight, and the medevac plan matters

Juneau is the only U.S. state capital you can't drive to — it's reachable by air and sea, and its single paved runway is the lifeline. So when that runway closes overnight starting Saturday for repairs, the plan that matters most is the one for emergency medical flights. The airport says an alternative procedure for medevacs will be in effect during the closure, though the agenda documents for this week's airport board meeting didn't spell out what it is.

The closure of Runway 8-26 begins the night of July 11, with contractor SECON milling, repaving, and grooving the surface at several spots over the next few nights. It's the tail end of a larger apron rehabilitation project.

One wrinkle sits in the numbers: SECON's fee for the repairs, $118,407, is slightly more than the $109,876 left available in the airport capital reserve it's being charged against.