The runway at Pierce County Airport-Thun Field is flying planes again. County officials announced the reopening on Tuesday morning following a reconstruction project that closed the airfield to traffic for more than three months, eliminating what the county described as costly emergency repairs while preserving access for businesses, tenants, pilots and emergency crews that rely on the South Sound airport.
According to Pierce County, the runway closure began on July 27 and the strip went back into service at 10:30 that Tuesday morning. In its announcement, the county said the reconstruction eliminates costly emergency repairs and preserves runway access for airport businesses, tenants, pilots, and emergency services — the same language it used to frame the project's purpose when work began over the summer.
A Runway That Hadn't Been Touched Since 1988
Before the rebuild, the runway measured 3,650 feet and had not been reconstructed since 1988, according to The News Tribune. The paper reported that the project was designed to widen the runway from 60 to 75 feet, part of an overhaul the outlet estimated would cost $7.56 million. That price tag, the paper reported, was expected to be covered largely by the Federal Aviation Administration, which was slated to contribute $7.18 million, with the Washington Department of Transportation adding $181,000 and Pierce County covering the remaining $196,000.
The scope of the work went beyond simply repaving the strip. The News Tribune reported the project would include drainage improvements, new lighting and other repaving. Safety in Motion Flight Center, a flight training operation based at the airport, separately described the reconstruction as including improved drainage and realigned taxiway connectors.
Differing Estimates on How Long the New Surface Will Last
Officials have offered varying descriptions of how long the rebuilt runway should hold up. The News Tribune reported that the new surface should last an average of 20 additional years, while Pierce County Airport manager Trent Smith was quoted by Flying magazine as saying the investment secures a new 20-to-30-year runway lifespan. The two figures don't line up precisely, but both outlets frame the project as a long-term fix rather than a stopgap.
The closure disrupted a genuinely busy piece of regional aviation infrastructure. Thun Field recorded approximately 111,000 takeoffs and landings in 2024, per the same News Tribune report, a volume that underscores why pilots, flight schools and nearby businesses had been anxious to see the runway reopen since the closure began in July.
What's Left Before the Project Wraps Up
Even with the runway reopened, Pierce County has indicated that additional site work is expected to continue through mid-November, meaning crews will likely remain at the airport finishing peripheral tasks even as regular flight operations resume. The county's announcement did not detail what that remaining work involves, but it comes after a closure that stretched roughly 99 days, from late July into early November.
