Anchorage Daily News

The universe could expand in all directions someday soon at the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport.

Besides making plans to build a new north-south runway, airport officials want to extend one of its two east-west runways to ease congestion on the taxiways and reduce delays.

The southern-most of those airstrips, called Runway 7R, would move 1,500 feet or 1,800 feet to the west, depending on which plan is picked.

Sections of ski trails, including the Sisson Loop, would move to make room for the project, but trail advocate Jim Burkholder said rerouting the trails won't hurt the overall trail system.

An environmental analysis could be wrapped up by the fall, project manager Gary Lincoln said, and a design will be chosen after that.

Extending 7R to the west will give the heavy cargo planes that land from that direction room to slow down in time to exit on Taxiway G, the preferred route to reach Taxiway R, which leads to cargo plane parking at the North Airpark.

As it is now, those heavy planes must travel farther east and turn onto one of several taxiways that take a more circuitous route to Taxiway R. Along the way, they travel next to the taxiway used by passenger planes, causing congestion and delays.

State biologist Rick Sinnott said the extension probably won't alter wildlife movement. But he's concerned for eagles, owls and other birds that might be attracted to dozens of light towers that would be installed between the Coastal Trail and the west end of Runway 7R.

"There might be some risk of bird strikes," he said. "I cautioned them to design the towers to minimize perching and nesting opportunities. The airport is a dead zone for wildlife, and I don't want them extending the shooting and hazing all the way to the coast."

Find Beth Bragg online at adn.com/contact/bbragg or call 257-4309.

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