New runway opens at 21D

A new 3,500-foot runway is now open at Lake Elmo Airport (21D) in St. Paul, Minnesota.

The new runway is part of a multi-year project to improve airfield infrastructure and provide safer operations, according to officials with the Metropolitan Airports Commission.

Runway 14-32, which opened to traffic July 20, 2022, is 650 feet longer than the previous runway, which will be converted to a taxiway in the final phase of the project, airport officials said.

Located between St. Paul and the St. Croix River, the Lake Elmo Airport is a hub for recreational aircraft, business aviation, and flight training. The airport supports more than 32,000 landings and takeoffs annually.

It is one of six general aviation airports operated by the Metropolitan Airports Commission, which also operates Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (KMSP), the 17th busiest passenger airport in North America.

“Our reliever airports play an important role in the Twin Cities region, especially as we saw a resurgence in private business travel, recreational flying, and flight training during the pandemic,” said Rick King, MAC chairman. “These infrastructure investments will help us better meet the needs of our strong and growing aviation community.”

Envisioned as a part of the Lake Elmo Airport’s 2016 long-term plan, construction on the modernization project began in 2019. The project also includes realigning an adjacent road, upgrading instrument approach technology, installing new lights and signage, and making other airfield safety improvements, airport officials said. The $23.9 million project was funded with more than $17.5 million in federal and state grants.