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Fresno approves $1.5M resurfacing of Chandler Executive Airport runway

Fresno approves $1.5M resurfacing of Chandler Executive Airport runway

Built World Fresno, CA local

Runway 12-30, rated 'Poor' after 20 years of service, gets a mill-and-overlay paid for by federal airport grants

August 27th, 2026: Council awards rehabilitation contracts

Overview

Updated 1 hour ago

Chandler Executive Airport's Runway 12-30 was last repaved in 2003. When a 2022 survey rated the pavement 'Poor' at 51 on a 100-point scale, the city began planning its replacement—and on August 27, 2026, the Fresno City Council approved a $1.54 million contract to resurface it.

The job is a mill-and-overlay: crews strip about three inches of asphalt and lay new pavement to the existing grade, resetting the runway's condition score to 100. Inspectors found no structural damage, so the fix costs a fraction of a full rebuild. Federal airport grants cover the tab, and a city project-labor agreement applies because the engineer's estimate tops $1 million.

Why it matters

Resurfacing resets a 'Poor'-rated runway to like-new, keeping Fresno's general-aviation airport operating for flight schools, charters, and helicopter traffic.

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Key Indicators

$1,543,391
Construction contract award
Terra West Construction, lowest of six bids, will mill and overlay Runway 12-30.
$318,000
Construction management agreement
Hill International will inspect and administer the rehabilitation.
51/100
Pavement Condition Index before rehab
Rated 'Poor'; the 41-55 range requires major rehabilitation. Work resets the score to 100.
6
Bids received
Public bid opening on June 16, 2026; amounts ranged from $1,543,391 to $1,817,690.

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People Involved

Francisco Partida
Francisco Partida
Assistant Director, Fresno Airports Department
Co-introduced the runway rehabilitation item and recommended approval
 Cristal De La Torre
Cristal De La Torre
Projects Administrator, Fresno Airports Department
Co-introduced the runway rehabilitation item

Organizations Involved

City of Fresno Airports Department
City of Fresno Airports Department
Municipal government department
Owner and operator of Chandler Executive; awarded the contract

Operates Fresno Chandler Executive and Fresno Yosemite International airports for the City of Fresno.
Terra West Construction, Inc.
Terra West Construction, Inc.
Construction company
Awarded $1,543,391 runway rehabilitation contract

Clovis, California construction firm and lowest responsive bidder on the Runway 12-30 project.
Hill International, Inc.
Hill International, Inc.
Construction management firm
Awarded $318,000 construction management agreement

San Jose-based firm providing construction inspection and administration for the runway project.
Fresno Chandler Executive Airport
Fresno Chandler Executive Airport
General aviation airport
Facility receiving the rehabilitation

General aviation airport 1.5 miles west of downtown Fresno serving flight schools, charters, and helicopter operators.

Timeline

November 1929 August 2026

10 events Latest: August 27th, 2026 · 4 weeks ago
Tap a bar to jump to that date

  1. Council awards rehabilitation contracts

    Latest Decision

    City Council approves $1,543,391 to Terra West and $318,000 to Hill International for the project.

  2. Environmental exemption signed

    Regulatory

    Assessment signed; project exempt from CEQA under Class 1 for existing facilities.

  3. Six bids opened

    Process

    Public bid opening; Terra West lowest at $1,543,391, range up to $1,817,690.

  4. Bid notice published

    Process

    Notice inviting bids posted on Planet Bids and the city website.

  5. Design contract awarded

    Contract

    Council approves Kimley-Horn Associates contract for engineering and construction phase services.

  6. Survey flags 'Poor' pavement

    Assessment

    Pavement Condition Index survey rates Runway 12-30 at 51 of 100, requiring major rehabilitation.

  7. Runway 12-30 repaved

    Infrastructure

    Asphalt resurfacing sets the runway's 20-year design life clock.

  8. Airlines move out

    Transition

    Commercial carriers shift to Fresno Air Terminal; Chandler becomes general aviation.

  9. WPA extends runway

    Infrastructure

    Works Progress Administration project expands the runway to 4,000 feet.

  10. Chandler Field dedicated

    Milestone

    Dedicated as a public airfield on 100 acres donated by the Chandler family.

Scenarios

1

Chandler runway rehab completes on time, on budget

Likely Resolves by Aug 27, 2027

Discussed by: City staff, who described a routine mill-and-overlay with no structural damage found

Terra West mobilizes this fall, mills three inches of asphalt off Runway 12-30, and lays fresh pavement to the existing grade. With no structural issues and federal grant funding locked in, finishing inside the approved budget is the baseline expectation. The runway reopens with its condition score reset to 100.

2

Weather or site surprises force change orders over budget

Possible Resolves by Aug 27, 2027

Discussed by: Construction-risk analysis; asphalt projects are exposed to rain, subgrade discoveries, and utility conflicts

A rainy stretch during milling or a discovered subsurface issue triggers change orders requiring council approval for extra funds. The Categorical Exemption and no-structural-damage finding limit the scope, but open-air pavement work remains vulnerable to weather and utility relocation costs.

3

Work slips past planned completion date

Possible Resolves by Aug 27, 2027

Discussed by: Timing risk given a fall/winter build window and project-labor-agreement requirements

Late mobilization, asphalt supply delays, or wet weather pushes full completion into 2027 or later, extending runway closures and phasing the work. The project would still finish, just later than announced.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

1938

WPA runway expansion at Chandler Field (1938)

A Works Progress Administration project extended the runway to 4,000 feet, part of New Deal federal investment in Fresno's airfield. The field had been dedicated in 1929 on land donated by Wilber and Edna Chandler.

Then

The longer runway served the city until 1947, when commercial airlines said the field was too small and moved to Fresno Air Terminal east of town.

Now

Chandler Field became Fresno's general-aviation airport, and the federal role in building and renewing its runways continued.

Why this matters now

The same federal public-works money that funded the 1938 expansion now covers the 2026 resurfacing. Federal grants have carried this runway for nearly a century.

2003

Runway 12-30 repaved (2003)

Fresno repaved Runway 12-30 with asphaltic concrete, setting the clock on its 20-year design life, the pavement cycle now ending.

Then

The new surface carried traffic through the 2010s; by 2022 a survey rated it 'Poor' at 51 of 100.

Now

The 2003 surface defined the maintenance schedule that triggered the 2026 project, showing the roughly two-decade rhythm of runway replacement.

Why this matters now

It is the same runway and the same maintenance cycle. The 2026 mill-and-overlay restarts a pattern that will likely repeat again around the 2040s.

Sources

(7)
+3
City of Fresno City of Fresno KFSN-TV (ABC30 Fresno) Fresno Yosemite International Airport City of Fresno City of Fresno City of Fresno

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