Coast Guard breaks ground on $32 million runway reconstruction project in Elizabeth City

North Carolina Construction News staff writer The U.S. Coast Guard on Tuesday broke ground on a $32 million project to reconstruct a long-closed runway at Coast Guard Base Elizabeth City, [...] The post Coast Guard breaks ground on $32 million runway reconstruction project in Elizabeth City appeared first on North Carolina Construction News .

North Carolina Construction News staff writer The U.S. Coast Guard on Tuesday broke ground on a $32 million project to reconstruct a long-closed runway at Coast Guard Base Elizabeth City, a move officials said will improve aviation readiness and strengthen operations at one of the service’s busiest air stations. The project will fully rebuild Runway 1-19, modernize taxiways and airfield lighting, and restore the crosswind runway, which has been closed to Coast Guard aircraft since 2008. Officials said the project will eliminate a key operational vulnerability by providing an additional runway at the Coast Guard’s largest aviation hub on the East Coast.

The runway is expected to improve mission readiness by reducing operational risk and supporting flight training, aircraft maintenance and emergency response operations. “Restoring Runway 1-19 optimizes our ability to execute lifesaving and national security missions every day throughout the East District,” Rear Adm. Zeita Merchant, commander of the Coast Guard East District, said during the ceremony. “It maximizes our response readiness and provides our aircrews with the tactical flexibility and agility to deploy day or night without delay.”

Funding for the project was secured through the Coast Guard’s fiscal year 2021 Unfunded Priorities List with support from North Carolina’s congressional delegation. RQ Construction received the contract in August 2025 and will oversee reconstruction under the direction of the Coast Guard’s Facilities Design and Construction Center. Construction is expected to continue through 2027.

The base’s primary runway will remain operational throughout the project, allowing aviation missions to continue without interruption. “Every Coast Guard mission begins and ends at a shore facility, and here at Base Elizabeth City, those missions begin and end on our runways,” Capt. Peter Bosma, commanding officer of the Facilities Design and Construction Center, said. “This recapitalization restores essential airfield capacity, enhances safety and efficiency, and ensures our pilots, aircrews and maintainers have the resilient infrastructure they need to support a modern and dynamic Coast Guard.”

Once complete, the runway will restore crosswind landing capability, reduce wear on the primary runway and lessen the need to relocate aircraft during severe weather. Officials said the improvements also will support flight training, aircraft testing, depot-level maintenance and operational deployments. “The return of a safe and modern crosswind runway directly improves our ability to launch and recover aircraft when it matters most,” Capt. Catherine Carabine, commanding officer of Air Station Elizabeth City, said.

“It also advances the safety of the 85,000 operations expected by Coast Guard, Department of War, and civilian traffic who use this airfield and provides a critical solution for our air traffic controllers to deconflict aircraft.” Air Station Elizabeth City operates MH-60 Jayhawk helicopters and HC-130J Hercules aircraft supporting search-and-rescue, homeland security and law enforcement missions from the Chesapeake Bay to the Caribbean and North Atlantic. Coast Guard Base Elizabeth City also houses the Aviation Logistics Center, Aviation Technical Training Center and Aviation Projects Acquisition Center.

The Coast Guard-owned airfield is jointly used with Elizabeth City Regional Airport and supports the growing flight training program at Elizabeth City State University.