Dorchester and Mattapan could experience increased airplane traffic over the next three months due to a major runway reconstruction project at Logan Airport that will close the east-west facing Runway 15R/33L for approximately 100 days starting on Aug. 14.
All flight paths, take-offs, and approaches are determined by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), but it is anticipated that the project will result in more planes using airspace over the two neighborhoods, even at night.
The project has been in the works since 2021, but news about it and what it will mean is just coming out now.
A Logan spokesperson said it was impossible to know how much more air traffic would be directed over the two communities, adding that “the FAA is responsible for runway selection, based primarily on wind and weather. With the closure of R33L…, communities to the north and south of the airport will likely experience temporary increases in air traffic due to the project,” said the spokesperson in a statement. “Areas of Dorchester and Mattapan may see increases in overflight arrivals from Runway 4R.”
The spokesperson said that when the FAA directs the use of north-south facing runways 22L/22R, planes will bank over Boston Harbor and not “overfly southwest of the airport. The same is true for flights arriving at night.
Congressman Stephen Lynch’s office said the project is “on our radar and we have already been in touch with Massport and the FAA about it.”
Runway 15R-33L, the longest stretch at the airport, is primarily used when winds come from the northwest, which drive in cool or cold dry weather, depending on the season.. It is the preferred late-night runway over Boston Harbor for noise abatement.
The runway was last rehabilitated in 2012. The project will replace pavement on roads and taxiing intersections, upgrade electrical infrastructure, and convert runway lights to energy efficient LEDs.
