PALM COAST, Fla. — Pilots may have to steer clear of Flagler Executive Airport this month as a nearly $9 million overhaul of the facility reaches a key phase.

The county’s airport is undergoing $8.75 million makeover thanks to federal and state funding, according to Julie Murphy, Flagler County’s communications manager.

Airport Director Roy Sieger said contractor Halifax Paving has reached a “critical phase” of the project.

This includes completing the rehabilitation of Runway 6-24 pavement and the addition of airfield electrical components within the Runway 11-29’s safety area, Sieger said.

“Because of the scope of the work — and the close proximity to the edge of the Runway 11-29 pavement — operations on Runway 11-29 will be restricted,” the director said in a statement.

“This will allow for safe completion of the work and the paving operations, as well as maintain safe access to Runway 11-29 for the tenants and the flying community.”

All flights have been using Runway 11-29 since the roughly 8-month project began in October 2020.

“There will be a couple of times during the project that the airport will have to be completely closed to tie in the pavement where the runways intersect, and we are entering into one of them,” Sieger said. “This mostly impacts Airport tenants and the flying community, but I wanted to let our residents know what is happening with this project.”

Rehabilitating all runway pavement — a length of 5,000 feet and a width of 100 feet — is only part of the job.

Medium-intensity runway lights, runway-end identifier lights and an aircraft run-up area are being added.

A new airfield electrical vault is also being constructed.

Grants are paying for the work.

The Federal Aviation Administration chipped in $6.77 million, while the Florida Department of Transportation shelled out $1.98 million.

The airport generates an estimated $150 million annual economic impact to Florida, according to a FDOT report in March 2019.

The airport is a self-sustaining “enterprise” operation, meaning it receives no property taxes and all revenue is generated from property leases, fuel sales, and grants.

It has 28 tenants. The largest is the Florida Army National Guard.

The Guard opened the $21.7 million, 82,043-square-foot, Flagler Palm Coast Readiness Center in October 2020.

Roughly 260 soldiers drill together at the center at 100 Executive Airport Drive.