The Aspen-Pitkin County Airport will reopen its runway at 7 a.m. Friday to commercial and private air traffic.
The southern end of the runway was damaged in the early hours of Wednesday morning due to a fire that occurred when a runway sign ignited as crews were making repairs late Tuesday night. No injuries were reported, according to a Pitkin County news release.
The runway closure began at 11 a.m. Wednesday for inbound flights, while outbound flights were allowed to depart until 5 p.m. The runway was closed on Thursday for the entire day.
"ASE would like to extend its gratitude to the Eagle County Airport for quickly providing FAA-approved materials, to contracting engineering firm Kimley Horn for their consistent assessment and commitment to ensuring the safety of the runway, and to the Pitkin County Public Works Department for their invaluable assistance with the repairs," Airport Director Dan Bartholomew said in the release.
"Their collaborative efforts were crucial in expediting the repair process and reopening the runway. We would also like to thank the traveling public for their patience and understanding during this unexpected closure."
The commercial airlines serving the local airport — United, American and Delta — have been notified of the reopening schedule. Travelers are advised to check with their carriers for the most up-to-date information regarding their flight schedules, the release says.
"We appreciate the patience and understanding of all passengers, pilots, community and airport personnel during this period," the release adds.
Snowmass trails to close Monday for SkiCo project
Aspen Skiing Co. will use helicopters to remove lift towers from the Coney Glade lift on Snowmass ski area from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday.
The flight area, including trails, will be closed to the public during that time. Village Bound, West Government, Burlingame, Discovery, and Cross Mountain trails will not be accessible. SkiCo will station employees and signs around the perimeter of the helicopter flight area to inform the public of the closure.
This coming winter, Snowmass will debut the “Coney Express” lift, an all-new high-speed quad that will replace the existing Coney Glade chair. Construction will take place this summer, and the lift is expected to open to the public for the 2024-25 winter ski season, a SkiCo news release says.
“The new lift footprint will extend down to the Snowmass base area across from Snowmass mall, helping to increase out-of-base capacity and alleviate congestion on busy days. The lift will end at the top of Coney Glade trail, with a midway angle station for easy access to the terrain park,” the release says.
As part of the project, SkiCo will be auctioning Coney Glade’s 86 chairs to the public, with all proceeds benefiting the company’s Environment Foundation. The public auction will run online through Sunday at 6 p.m. Bids will start at a $500 minimum. Visit us.givergy.com/EnvironmentFoundation/?controller=home to participate.
In addition, Aspen One employees are able to participate through a dedicated employee raffle. For $10, employees may purchase raffle tickets to win one of the five designated employee raffle chairs, the release says.
Winners must be able to pick up their chairs on either June 10 or June 17, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Snowmass at the Coney Glade bottom terminal. They should bring an open bed truck, flatbed truck or trailer with tie downs. The chairlifts weigh approximately 350 pounds and seat four people.
Winners will be notified directly with additional pickup details.
Three nonprofits to hold open house on housing
The Aspen Institute, Aspen Music Festival and School and Aspen Center for Physics will hold shared public open houses on Wednesday (June 12) from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 5-7 p.m. in the lobby of Harris Concert Hall on the Aspen Meadows Campus.
A joint news release says the open houses are for the purpose of presenting concepts related to the three nonprofits’ proposed deed-restricted housing project on the campus. They are working together to submit a land use application to the city of Aspen for projects to house staff, musicians, scientists and scholars.
At the meetings, the community will meet the project team and learn about the housing plans and locations. There will be opportunities to ask questions and provide feedback, according to the release.
A second set of open houses will follow on July 16 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4-6 p.m. at the Aspen Music Festival and School’s entertainment tent, formally known as the Michael Klein Music Tent.
More information on the project can be found at housingtheaspenidea.com. The website contains options to sign up for a project newsletter.
City of Aspen to host bike drop-off event
The city of Aspen will host a free bike drop-off event on June 14 from 2-6 p.m. at the Buttermilk parking lot, 38700 Highway 82.
Old bicycles that are donated will be recycled “instead of ending up in a landfill,” a city announcement says. The event includes free giveaways, a bike maintenance 101 class, snacks and discounts.
The event is co-sponsored by the city of Aspen, Carbondale Bike Project, Cripple Creek Backcountry and Aloha Mountain Cyclery.
