NEWARK — A major 60-day rehabilitation project will begin this week at one of Newark Liberty International Airport's major north-south runways.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the airport, says the work will require a temporary change in flight patterns that will bring more planes than usual over communities in Jersey City, Bayonne and Staten Island.

But officials say any resulting community inconvenience may be tempered by the airlines' voluntary 15 percent reduction in scheduled flights over the construction period.

The work on Runway 4L-22R is due to start Tuesday.

It will keep the landing strip in a state-of-good-repair and add high-speed taxiways that will help reduce on-ground plane delays. The work also will create more than 500 jobs and approximately $152 million in regional economic activity.

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