The planned airport runway expansion project hit a legal snag Tuesday, one that could delay some or all construction until August.

        Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport officials plan to build a 8,000-foot, north-south runway on the western side of the facility, and extend the western end of the existing 10,000-foot east/west runway by 2,000 feet.

        The project has received federal approval, and the Federal Aviation Administration has committed at least $132 million to the $230 million project. It is scheduled to open in 2005.

        Construction was set to begin May 1 on relocating an oil pipeline that lies directly in the path of the new runway.

        The airport had begun the process of condemning sev eral parcels of land to build the new runways, having failed to agree with the property owners on a purchase price.

        But Tuesday, a Boone County judge postponed the condemnation suit involving the largest parcel yet to be acquired by the airport until August.

        Airport officials would not comment on the case or on its implications on the construction schedule.

        Airport lawyer Joe Baker said that the situation “poses problems for us, but we are obviously looking for ways to solve that” when it came to starting construction.

        One of the first construction projects involved the relocation of an oil pipeline that required the closing of Hossman Road — which abuts the property in question.

        “As long as anything the airport does on Hossman Road does not adversely impact the Conner property, then there is no objection,” to construction getting under way, said Phil Taliaferro, the lawyer representing the Conner family, which owns the prop erty in question.

        The Conner family of Hebron had asked Boone County Circuit Judge Joseph F. Bamberger to consider whether the airport board and Kenton County, which owns the airport, can condemn and take land that lies in Boone County.

        Judge Bamberger said Tuesday the delay did not mean the airport could not conduct any construction. It just barred work that affected the Conners' property.

        Mr. Baker said there is legal precedent in the airport's favor, but Mr. Taliaferro said a subsequent Kentucky statute overrides a 1974 case. Mr. Baker also said the airport had condemned land for the last runway project, completed in 1992.

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