Damaged By Presidential Support Plane In 2004

Remember the runway that was damaged at the Las Cruces International Airport (LRU) in August 2004 by a C-17 cargo plane carrying support vehicles and equipment for a visit by President Bush?

Despite being told by airport officials that the runway's soft asphalt couldn't handle the massive cargo plane's weight, the Globemaster's crew landed the big bird on Runway 4/22 anyway. The result? Several two-inch-deep ruts, each a half-mile long.

After some back-and-forth finger pointing and haggling between the city council and government officials, the Air Force finally agreed to pay just over $600,000 thousand dollars to repair the damages... a far cry from the city's original estimate of $2 million.

Well, that was last October... and we're saddened to report the runway is nowhere close to being repaired.

The ruts are still there, extending over 2,500 feet down the 7,500-foot runway... limiting its use to small planes with less than 30 seats.

Fortunately, there is a plan afoot to finally fix the runway... but Airport Manager Lisa Murphy told the Las Cruces Sun-News that repairs won't be completed until next year.

The Las Cruces airport has two other runways. While it doesn't support any commercial flights at this time, approximately 300 private and military flyers use the field. It is also the site of the annual X-Prize Cup competition.

As for the President... well, we encourage him to travel lightly, the next time he has a hankering to shake some hands and eat some green chile in Southern New Mexico.

FMI: www.las-cruces.org/airport