The Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport will be closed for construction in the middle of football season next year from Sept. 8 to Oct. 10.

Football season typically starts around late August or early September. An average of 4,000 passengers fly out of Pullman every September, according to a report by The Lewiston Tribune.

The closure is needed in order for construction workers to complete the construction project, which will create a larger separation between the taxiway and runway, said Tony Bean, Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport executive director.

“We’re trying to give people as much time as possible to prepare,” he said.

There will also be a new runway raised several feet to avoid issues with the fog and move its alignment away from Moscow Mountain, according to The Lewiston Tribune. The construction project would cost about $89 million to $119 million.

Bean said the Federal Aviation Administration needed two years to plan a procedure when building a new runway. The hard deadline for the construction is Oct. 10, which is when the runway must be ready, he said.

“If you miss that window of opportunity,” Bean said, “it’s not like you can just get into the next one.”

Runway closures have occurred for the last two years in order to minimize a long closure for next year, he said.

Students, athletes and travelers would have to fly into the Spokane International or Lewiston-Nez Perce County Regional Airport in the meantime.