Airport runway design work nearing completion
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Recommend ThisBids for the Winchester project may be requested by June, airport offical says
By J.R. Williams-jrwilliams@nvdaily.com
WINCHESTER -- Design work for the rehabilitation of the Winchester Regional Airport's runway is nearing completion, and construction bids may be requested as soon as June, an airport official said.
The Board of Supervisors on Wednesday night made room in the airport's capital improvements fund for the project, which is estimated to cost $7.52 million for the construction phase and would be paid for by federal and state grants.
Airport Director Renny Manuel said Wednesday afternoon that the project design is about 90 percent complete and that it is currently under review.
The Federal Aviation Administration has ranked the project, which will repair 4,500 feet of its 5,500-foot runway and install more sophisticated lighting, as its first priority for the airport.
The runway received its last major update in 1991. Pavement stressed from use and age needs to be replaced.
"The money has already been earmarked," Manuel said. "It's No. 1 on the FAA's radar."
If bids come in under budget, construction could begin this year, she said, but the airport authority would have to decide how to proceed with construction.
Several options with different costs and impacts to airport businesses have already been floated, including a closure of the airport to complete the work at once.
Other options include repairing half the runway at a time, which would increase costs but keep part of the runway active, or shut it down completely but use the airport's taxiway as a runway for light aircraft.
Since lighting will be replaced, no nighttime operations will be permitted regardless of how the work is done.
Contractors will submit bids for each option.
The Airport Authority will select its preference, but final authority rests with the FAA and the state.
In other business Wednesday night, the Frederick County Board of Supervisors:
• Approved a non-binding resolution acknowledging the terms of a $10 million Virginia Resources Authority loan to reconstruct the Lake Holiday spillway.
VRA has approved the loan application, Kris C. Tierney, assistant county administrator, said during Wednesday's meeting.
The project is poised to go to bid. Lake Holiday voters approved a bond referendum in November for the project, which is estimated to cost $8.3 million.
"We're actually hoping that due to the competitive process, the numbers will come in even better than that," Tierney said.
Landowners would be assessed on a tiered fee system to pay for the improvements.
• Approved a special-use permit for Tracy Alt to operate an in-home day care facility on Obriens Circle.
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