Narrative:

At btr, runway 13/31 is under repair, and has been for several months. During this period, other surfaces have also been closed to accommodate work crews. Initially, taxiway a, where it crosses 13 was closed to repair this portion. During this time, all aircraft weighing more than 50000 pounds had to back-taxi on the runway, either going in or out. This resulted in an extreme amount of opposite direction situations, in which separation could not always be insured. This project was only supposed to last 21 days, taxiway 'a' was closed on or about X may. On or about X aug, taxiway was reopened. A 21 day project that took about 75 days! The work crews did not work on holidays or weekends, and that's when the WX was best! Now the airport has decided to close runway 4R/22L, which will leave us one runway. Most controllers here have never worked one runway operations, so I believe safety will by severely compromised. A suggestion was made to wait until the northwest portion of runway 13 was completed before closing runway 4R. This would push back closing runway 4R/22L about 3 weeks! Plus, it would allow the controllers to land smaller aircraft on runway 13 to hold short of runway 4L/22R, thus increasing the safety of flying into btr. This suggestion fell on deaf ears at the airport mgrs office. He would not budge. Obviously, safety is not a concern of the airport here in btr!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CTLR COMPLAINS ABOUT RWY CONSTRUCTION DELAYS AND SCHEDULE PLAN FOR OTHER RWY CLOSURES.

Narrative: AT BTR, RWY 13/31 IS UNDER REPAIR, AND HAS BEEN FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. DURING THIS PERIOD, OTHER SURFACES HAVE ALSO BEEN CLOSED TO ACCOMMODATE WORK CREWS. INITIALLY, TAXIWAY A, WHERE IT CROSSES 13 WAS CLOSED TO REPAIR THIS PORTION. DURING THIS TIME, ALL ACFT WEIGHING MORE THAN 50000 POUNDS HAD TO BACK-TAXI ON THE RWY, EITHER GOING IN OR OUT. THIS RESULTED IN AN EXTREME AMOUNT OF OPPOSITE DIRECTION SITUATIONS, IN WHICH SEPARATION COULD NOT ALWAYS BE INSURED. THIS PROJECT WAS ONLY SUPPOSED TO LAST 21 DAYS, TAXIWAY 'A' WAS CLOSED ON OR ABOUT X MAY. ON OR ABOUT X AUG, TAXIWAY WAS REOPENED. A 21 DAY PROJECT THAT TOOK ABOUT 75 DAYS! THE WORK CREWS DID NOT WORK ON HOLIDAYS OR WEEKENDS, AND THAT'S WHEN THE WX WAS BEST! NOW THE ARPT HAS DECIDED TO CLOSE RWY 4R/22L, WHICH WILL LEAVE US ONE RWY. MOST CTLRS HERE HAVE NEVER WORKED ONE RWY OPS, SO I BELIEVE SAFETY WILL BY SEVERELY COMPROMISED. A SUGGESTION WAS MADE TO WAIT UNTIL THE NW PORTION OF RWY 13 WAS COMPLETED BEFORE CLOSING RWY 4R. THIS WOULD PUSH BACK CLOSING RWY 4R/22L ABOUT 3 WEEKS! PLUS, IT WOULD ALLOW THE CTLRS TO LAND SMALLER ACFT ON RWY 13 TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 4L/22R, THUS INCREASING THE SAFETY OF FLYING INTO BTR. THIS SUGGESTION FELL ON DEAF EARS AT THE ARPT MGRS OFFICE. HE WOULD NOT BUDGE. OBVIOUSLY, SAFETY IS NOT A CONCERN OF THE ARPT HERE IN BTR!

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.