Matthew Hoyle (middle), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers materials engineer, oversees asphalt placement at Hunter Army Airfield, June 2, 2023. The Army Corps of Engineers has begun repaving the runway at Hunter Army Airfield in Georgia, with completion expected by July 31. (Daniel Malta/U.S. Army)

Hunter Army Airfield is getting some TLC.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has begun repaving the runway on the Georgia airfield, with completion expected by July 31. The portion being repaved is approximately 10,000 feet long and 200 feet wide, an Army news release said.

The repaving is the main project of a $53 million renovation effort at the nearly century-old airfield, home to the aviation units of the 3rd Infantry Division based in Fort Stewart. New striping will be painted throughout the airfield, and taxiway shoulders also will be repaved. Engineers will also seal cracks, replace concrete in areas of the apron and ramp, and evaluate, clean and repair hundreds of storm drainage pipes underneath the airfield.

The project completion turnover date is scheduled for July 11, 2024, the release said.

"Our status as a power projection platform is dependent on our ability to access land, air and sea for mobilizing and deploying our soldiers around the world,” said Travis Mobley, deputy garrison commander at the airfield, in the release. “These renovations will enable our armed forces to rapidly deploy as the nation calls."

Hunter Army Airfield opened in 1929 as the Savannah Municipal Airport. The U.S. Army Air Corps took ownership in 1940, and it has functioned as a military airfield ever since.

The renovations are expected to increase the lifespan of the airfield by 20 years, resident engineer Todd McGalliard said in the release.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has begun repaving the runway at Hunter Army Airfield in Georgia, with completion expected by July 31, 2023. The portion being repaved is approximately 10,000 feet long and 200 feet wide. (Daniel Malta/U.S. Army)