A Newark Liberty International Airport runway that has been closed for construction, adding to widespread delays and cancellations, will reopen nearly two weeks ahead of schedule. 

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced the updated timeline Friday, saying the runway will reopen 13 days early, allowing normal runway operations to resume on Monday, June 2. 

"Thank you to the Port Authority for their partnership and hard work in getting Newark's runway rebuilt ahead of schedule. Great job!" U.S Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy said in a statement. "As we approach the busy summer travel season, this key milestone puts us on a path to further reducing congestion, enhancing safety, and ensuring a seamless travel experience. With the runway completed, we'll continue our work to harden the telecoms infrastructure and improving the staffing pipeline for the airspace."  

"I commend the crews who have worked tirelessly to get this critical project done ahead of schedule," Murphy added. "I'm grateful for New Jersey's partnership with the Port Authority and the FAA as we work to return to full capacity at Newark Airport. New Jersey will do all we can to support plans from the USDOT to invest in modernizing our air traffic control system and fully staffing our air traffic controllers."  

The runway construction has been partly to blame for the issues plaguing Newark Airport this month, along with air traffic controller staffing and equipment issues. The Federal Aviation Administration has slowed the number of flights at the airport, but said it plans to add more capacity once the construction is complete. 

Officials say the $121 million construction project started in early March with runway closures on nights and weekends. The full 24/7 shutdown began on April 15 and was originally scheduled to finish on June 15. 

Runway 4L-22R was last rehabilitated in 2014 and was showing significant signs of wear, officials say. The construction project involves milling and paving the runway surface, improving lighting, signage and draining, and installing electrical infrastructure underground.

Officials say the construction will continue on nights and weekends from September through December. The other two runways, 4R-22L and 11-29, will still be available during those periods. 

Duffy said earlier this week he also expects the FAA to activate a new fiber line to improve air traffic controller communication by the start of July.