St. George • St. George Regional Airport in southwestern Utah reopened Thursday to landings and takeoffs by airplanes after a four-month closure of its runway for reconstruction.

The old runway was constructed eight years ago and was expected to last 20 years but needed to be replaced because it was very bumpy and required patching due to underlying clay that expanded at various rates.

The reconstruction included digging out 17 feet of clay and soil, adding drainage and moisture barriers and installing new pavement.

The runway project cost approximately $26 million, with a federal grant paying for most of it.

While commercial flights and general aviation use of the airport was curtailed during the runway closure, helicopters were able to continue to use the airport.