PERU, Ind. (AP): The more than 2-mile-long runway at northern Indiana's Grissom Air Reserve Base is going to be shut down during much of the summer for repair work.

 

That will mean the shifting of the military refueling aircraft based at Grissom to other Air Force sites and a hit on business at its civilian aviation companies.

 

The 12,500-foot runway is scheduled to close in early June for about 45 days so new expansion joints can be installed.

 

Grissom chief engineer John Robison tells the Kokomo Tribune the joints are needed because the runway surface can buckle from summer heat.

 

Dean Baldwin Painting officials say it will likely have to reduce hours for the 135 workers at the Grissom hangar where it paints and services airplanes.