SFO closed Runway 1 Right on March 30, 2026, for a major rehabilitation and airfield-improvement project. The airport initially expected it to reopen October 2, then said on September 16 that work was ahead of schedule and the runway was expected to reopen no later than September 29. The available official updates do not confirm that reopening occurred or establish a final project cost, so check current SFO and airline information for conditions affecting your trip.
What the SFO runway project involved
Runway 1 Right was closed for runway-surface repaving and related work: improvements to adjacent taxiways, lighting upgrades, and new striping and markings. SFO said Granite Construction Company was awarded the work contract.
In its September 16, 2026 update, SFO reported the scale of the work:
- 200,000 tons of asphalt
- 64 miles of electrical cable
- Markings and signage covering 12 acres
- 2,440 new light fixtures
- 88 replacement guidance signs
SFO compared the asphalt quantity to repaving the Golden Gate Bridge 11 times and the cable length to encircling San Francisco twice. These are the airport’s comparisons, not separate measurements.
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How the schedule and cost estimate changed
| SFO announcement | Expected reopening | Expected cost | Expected FAA funding |
|---|---|---|---|
| February 27, 2026 | October 2, 2026 | $180 million construction cost | $92.1 million |
| September 16, 2026 | No later than September 29, 2026 | $215 million project cost | $92.1 million |
The February figures came from SFO’s initial announcement; the September figures were its later update. SFO described the work as ahead of schedule in September, but that date was an expectation, not confirmation that the runway reopened. The later $215 million figure is an expected project cost, not a final audited total. The available announcements do not explain the full change from $180 million.
How the closure affected airport operations
Runway configuration during construction
SFO said arrivals and departures would use Runways 28 Left and 28 Right while Runway 1 Right was closed. Runway 1 Left would be used as an additional taxiway to help reduce ground congestion. SFO described the 28-runway configuration as common in clear, windy conditions and preferred by airlines and air traffic controllers.
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Construction and the separate FAA procedure change
The runway closure and an FAA arrival-procedure change both took effect on March 30, 2026, but they were separate operational factors. SFO said the closure was expected to lower its maximum arrival rate from 54 aircraft per hour to 45. The FAA’s change discontinued side-by-side approaches during clear weather, which SFO said lowered the rate to 36 arrivals per hour.
SFO expected arrivals to increase to 45–48 per hour after the runway reopened and revised FAA procedures allowing modified parallel landings took effect. Those figures describe airport arrival capacity as stated by SFO, not a guarantee about the number of flights operating or an individual flight’s punctuality.
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Could the closure delay your flight?
Yes, delays were possible, but SFO’s estimates changed in scope and should not be treated as directly comparable. In its February closure announcement, SFO expected fewer than 15% of flights to be delayed because of the closure, with average delays under 30 minutes; it said the likeliest peak periods were 9–10 a.m. and 9–10 p.m. A later SFO traveler notice, addressing construction alongside FAA arrival-rate reductions, expected approximately 30% of arriving flights to experience delays of at least 30 minutes.
Those were airport estimates, not guarantees or current flight forecasts. Check your airline’s status information for your specific flight and allow extra time if your itinerary is time-sensitive. SFO also said some communities would temporarily hear more departing aircraft overhead as departures shifted to Runways 28 Left and 28 Right.
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