On October 14, state, county and city leaders celebrated the groundbreaking of
a new runway being built at McKinney Airport northeast of Dallas. The new runway is scheduled for completion in late 2012, at which time the current runway will become the parallel taxiway. Located 550 feet east of the existing runway, the new runway will be 7,002 feet long and 150 feet wide. The new location of the runway will allow larger aircraft– “including commercial passenger aircraft”– to operate from the airport, according to the City of McKinney. Other changes as part of the runway project include the future relocation of a section of F.M. 546 south of the airport and “construction of significant storm water management controls to enhance the airport’s continuing goal to be environmentally responsible.”