Runway 1 Right at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) reopened on Tuesday, September 29, several days ahead of schedule, after a six month, $215 million rehabilitation delivered by Granite Construction. The project repaved the runway, upgraded lighting and taxiways, and replaced 64 miles of electrical cable, according to ABC7.
Runway 1R-19L had been closed since March 30 for a planned six months, with work originally scheduled to finish October 2. During the closure, SFO moved takeoffs and landings to Runways 28 Left and 28 Right and used Runway 1 Left as a taxiway, while Granite Construction delivered the rehabilitation as construction manager and general contractor.
Granite won the contract in May 2025 and anticipated a construction value of $115 million, as CRO reported in its coverage of the Runway 1R-19L and Taxiway W program. The airport now puts total project cost at about $215 million, including $92.1 million in FAA funding, compared with an earlier construction estimate of $180 million.
SFO Runway 1R Rehabilitation Finishes Ahead of Schedule
Crews repaved the runway, rebuilt portions of nearby taxiways, upgraded lighting and replaced pavement markings, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. In addition, the scope included replacing 64 miles of electrical cable.
Earlier project documents listed drainage improvements, updated signage and Runway Status Lights, together with striping and grooving. The plan also called for demolishing Taxiway F1 and building a new Taxiway W between Taxiways A and L, although the reports reviewed do not confirm whether that taxiway is complete.
Granite planned to produce about 185,000 tons of hot mix asphalt at its Santa Clara plant for the paving. At 25 tons a load, that equals roughly 7,400 truckloads.
Preconstruction ran from June 2025 through January 2026, and major construction was planned for March to November 2026.
SFO Runway 1R Reopening Restores Arrival Capacity but Weather Still Matters
The FAA stopped SFO pilots from making side by side visual approaches to the closely spaced east west runways in March. As a result, the clear weather arrival rate fell from 54 aircraft per hour to about 36, and it recovered to about 40 after the FAA allowed staggered parallel approaches in August.
SFO now expects about 45 to 48 arrivals per hour with Runway 1R back in service. Spokesperson Doug Yakel said 48 would essentially return the airport to normal operations, adding that “the real cause of delays now will only be weather related.”
The closure weighed heavily on travelers. A San Francisco Chronicle analysis found average delays rose to about 20 minutes between April 1 and June 10, compared with about 5 minutes a year earlier. Furthermore, about 40 percent of flights were delayed as of August, against an initial airport estimate of fewer than 15 percent.
Holiday demand is next. SFO handled about one million passengers in Thanksgiving week last year, and Yakel said the airport expects about 20,000 more this year.
SFO Runway 1R Funding and Delivery Sit Within a Larger Capital Program
The work forms part of SFO’s multi billion dollar Capital Improvement Program for renewing runways, taxiways, terminals and airfield systems. Granite’s project announcement put the anticipated construction value at $115 million for work running from March to November 2026.
FAA funding of $92.1 million covers about 43 percent of the $215 million total. Meanwhile, other projects in the program include the Terminal 3 West modernization, with phase one due to complete by fall 2027, and the Shoreline Protection Program to protect eight miles of bayfront through 2035.
Project Overview
- Project Name: Runway 1R-19L Rehabilitation and Taxiway W Construction
- Owner: San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
- Location: San Francisco International Airport, California, United States
- Project Type: Runway rehabilitation and taxiway construction
- Total Project Cost: About $215 million, up from an earlier $180 million construction estimate
- Contractor Construction Value: About $115 million, according to Granite
- FAA Funding: $92.1 million, about 43 percent of total cost
- Delivery Method: Construction manager and general contractor (CM/GC), awarded to Granite in May 2025
- Scope: Repaving, lighting, drainage, signage, Runway Status Lights, striping and grooving, taxiway rebuilding and 64 miles of new electrical cable
- New Taxiway: Taxiway W between Taxiways A and L, replacing Taxiway F1, with completion not confirmed in the reports reviewed
- Preconstruction: June 2025 through January 2026
- Closure Period: March 30 to September 29, 2026, against an original finish of October 2
- Capacity Impact: About 45 to 48 arrivals per hour expected, up from about 40 in August
- Design Consultants: Not publicly disclosed
Project Team
- Owner and Operator: San Francisco International Airport
- CM/GC Contractor: Granite Construction
- Funding Partner and Regulator: Federal Aviation Administration
- Design Consultants: Not publicly disclosed
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