|
Newsletters
|
| |
|
|
| |
Title: |
Airport Reconstruction |
| |
Author: |
Richard W. Nuttall |
| |
Date: |
05/01/2009 |
| |
| |
TELLURIDE REGIONAL AIRPORT
RUNWAY RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT SUMMARY
Another benefit will be the opportunity to expand our commercial passenger service by
allowing direct service from California and Texas utilizing the Q-400 turbo-prop aircraft
that is fast and seats 76 passengers.
The Telluride Regional Airport Authority (TRAA) with grants from the Federal
Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Colorado Division of Aeronautics will be
reconstructing the Airport’s runway in 2009 from April 7th through November 2nd. This
action will require that the runway be closed to all fixed-wing aircraft. Helicopter
operations will be permitted during the runway closure.
The contractor for this project is R.E. Monks Construction Company from Fountain
Hills, Arizona (480) 837-3684. The engineers are Kimley-Horn & Associates from
Phoenix, Arizona (602) 944-5500 and Terracon from Tempe, Arizona (480) 897-8200.
The runway reconstruction (Phase II) will encompass the following construction
activities:
General Time Line
General construction activities (except where noted) will be between the hours of 6:00
a.m. until 10:00 p.m. Monday through Sunday from April 7th through November 2nd.
This schedule is required to complete the project in the allotted time and to have
favorable weather for asphalt paving activities.
Step I: Earth Work
The runway grades will be reduced from the existing 1.9% to less than 1.5% to meet
FAA runway design standards. The new grading plan will encompass the following
activities:
1. The west end of the runway from the west end of the mesa to the dip in the
runway will be lowered approximately 27 feet maximum from the mesa edge
tapering to zero feet towards the dip in the runway, which will then blend into
the new runway center grade.
2. The dip in the runway will be raised approximately 14 feet maximum.
3. The east end of the runway at the east mesa edge will be lowered
approximately 14 feet and will taper west to meet the new runway center
grade.
The materials required to construct the new grades will come from the Airport. It is not
anticipated that any importing of material will be required for the earth work (However,
TRAA reserves the right to import materials if necessary if specifications cannot be
achieved by any of the on-site material.)
. The use of on-site materials will eliminate the normal truck traffic associated with this
type of construction. Truck traffic required for the earthwork will be water trucks that
will be importing water that is needed for compaction and for the manufacture of gravel.
The manufacture of gravel (crushing operations) and blasting activities will be required,
and will be restricted between the hours of 8:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. Monday through
Saturday.
Step II: Asphalt Runway Construction
Once the earthwork is completed, a new asphalt runway will be constructed. An
asphalt batch plant will be located on the Airport to manufacture the required asphalt.
The batch plant to be used shall be a state of the art plant, and the contractor will be
responsible for maintaining a current CDHPE air quality emission certificate. Materials
used in the manufacture of asphalt will need to be imported. It is estimated (subject to
contractor requirements) that this will require 3 to 5 trucks per hour over a 78-day period
between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
Final Phase (2010):
Once Phase II is completed this year, the Airport will re-open in November and remain
its existing B-III airport category. The final phase of this project will include widening
the runway safety areas and installing the Engineered Material Arresting System (EMAS)
at the end of each runway. We are anticipating that this last phase can be completed in
2010 if funding becomes available. We are not anticipating an airport closure for the
final construction phase.
What the new runway will achieve:
The new runway (once all phases are completed) will provide a much safer take-off and
landing environment. The reduced runway grade, wider safety areas and EMAS will
greatly increase the runway safety for all aircraft. It will not change our mountain
climate that must be respected by all pilots, but the new runway will give each pilot an
enhanced landing environment.
Another benefit will be the opportunity to expand our commercial passenger service by
allowing direct service from California and Texas utilizing the Q-400 turbo-prop aircraft
that is fast and seats 76 passengers.
The FAA grant that the Airport has received comes from the Aviation Trust Fund that
receives monies from user fees. This is not stimulus money, nor is any local tax dollars
being used to fund this project. The Telluride Regional Airport Authority would like to
thank the Federal Aviation Administration, the Colorado Division of Aeronautics and
Congressman John Salazar for their support in helping us achieve this important
improvement to the community.
Richard W. Nuttall
Airport Manager |
|
