Balfour Beatty Selected to Deliver Onslow County’s Albert J. Ellis Airport Expansion Project in North Carolina

August 13, 2024

JACKSONVILLE, NC - Balfour Beatty has been selected to deliver the runway expansion at Albert J. Ellis Airport in Jacksonville, North Carolina on behalf of Onslow County. The project includes extensive renovation and expansion of the airport's taxiway and runway to provide a transformative travel experience for travelers of Jacksonville, Wilmington, New Bern and Eastern North Carolina area.

Balfour Beatty serves as the general contractor for the airport's new runway expansions which feature a new 900-foot runway and taxiway extension to accommodate larger aircraft. The project team will install a new Medium-Intensity Approach Light System with Runway (MALSR) to assist pilots' departure and arrival queues.

Additionally, Balfour Beatty will deliver a new entrance to the airport's roadway and realign North Carolina Highway 111 (NC 111) to accommodate the extended runway.

"Balfour Beatty will leverage its extensive experience in the delivery of runway expansions to deliver these exciting new additions to Albert J. Ellis Airport," said Josh Taylor, Balfour Beatty project executive in North Carolina. "Once complete, the revitalized airport will provide a convenient travel experience for passengers and the driving public who come to and from Onslow County."

Balfour Beatty has experience with some of the most complex and recognizable airports over the past 75 years. In the Carolinas, the company has delivered various renovation and rehabilitation projects at Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU), and recently broke ground on the airport's Runway 5L/23R Replacement Program which involves building a new primary runway and transforming the existing runway into a taxiway.

The approximately $30 million construction agreement was approved by the County in Summer 2024 with full contract award expected in Spring 2025. Construction activities will commence at the end of 2024.