Idled runway may mean flight delays

ROMULUS, Mich. (AP) - A bad-weather winter has left a runway at Detroit Metropolitan Airport unusable for the summer.

The development could result in flight delays during inclement weather.

The cracked runway is one of two "crosswinds" strips. It slices through the center of the airfield.

A few holdups already have resulted because pilots couldn't use the runway, and the problem could escalate if summer storms whip up heavy winds, forcing the closure of the Romulus airport's four parallel runways.

Scott Wintner is a spokesman for the Wayne County Airport Authority, the agency responsible for airport operations. He tells The Detroit News repairs on the runway mostly should be done by October. Construction crews will return in the spring for some finishing touches.