Minnesota-Manitoba border airport permanently shutting down after 70 years

A sign for the Piney-Pinecreek Border Airport in an undated photo. (Minnesota Department of Transportation)

An airport with a runway that spans across the Canada-U.S. border will close for good by the end of this week.

After more than 70 years, the Piney-Pinecreek Border Airport – located south of Piney, Man., more than 150 kilometres southeast of Winnipeg – is set to shut down Dec. 27.

According to the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT), the airport was rarely used and required a lot of maintenance, specifically to its runway, apron and terminal.

It first opened in July 1953 on the U.S. side to expedite cross-border aviation traffic and fast-track customs proceedings for travellers. At that time, the runway ended where the Canadian border began.

However, in the early 1970s, a runway expansion was proposed. This meant the runway would extend into Canada, making it one of the only bi-international airports that crosses the Canada-U.S. border.

In a statement on its website, MnDOT said the international agreement required to operate the airport expires Dec. 26 and will not be renewed.

CTV News reached out to MnDOT, as well as the provincial and federal governments for more details.