Taxiways at Hobby Airport are set to receive a $47 million upgrade.
The project, known as Project 770, is part of a plan by Houston Airports System and the Federal Aviation Administration to modernize and increase safety.
“There’s a confusing geometry out here for pilots,” said Jim Szczesniak. COO of the Houston Airports System. “So they come up and there’s a lot of intersecting taxiways and runways and with those, it’s confusing. So what we are going to do, is these white areas will be nice 90-degree entrances to the runaways where it’s straightforward for the pilots and controllers.”
The first phase of the project was completed in June of last year. Phase 2, however, is officially underway as of Wednesday.
The project was already in the works but came less than a month after two private planes collided at the intersection of two runways at Hobby Airport. No one was hurt, however, officials with the National Transportation Safety Board are still investigating.
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Construction of the runways will not have direct operational impact on travelers and their flights.