Going into its 70th year of service, Bellingham International Airport (BLI) will mark a major milestone this month. On March 4, it willofficially be upgraded from an Index B airport to an Index C airport, indicating a higher level of traffic.

Though it may seem like just a formality, the reclassification is leading to two much-needed improvements this year: a complete reconstruction of the runway and taxiway to handle larger aircraft and a major overhaul of the terminal to meet the demands of more passengers.

The reconstruction of the runway and taxiway is slated to begin inMay and will last through September, when the whole airport will be shut down for three weeks while the runway is torn up. The projected cost is around $24 million.

"This is a huge project for us," said Port communications manager Carolyn Casey. "It's the largest single Port project ever in terms ofdollar value."

The project wouldn't be possible without significant financial support from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which is funding95 percent of the construction, said aviation director Art Choat. The FAA has been closely following growth at BLI over the last several years and has helped the Port prepare for more passengers.

When the need arose for a new airport rescue firefighting station--a $2.7 million facility that opened last August--it was the FAA thatsuggested the Port build a larger building to meet Index C requirements.