Environmental studies underway at airport
General Manager Mike Mathews says it will likely be 2018 before construction starts on the runway expansion project.
Preliminary work is underway on a $5.4 million SPLOST-funded runway extension at Richard B. Russell Regional Airport — although it will be several years until construction starts.
Alpharetta-based Baker Consulting Group Inc. is handling the project for the Floyd County Airport Commission. The extension, to 7,000 feet from 6,000 feet, will allow more types of corporate aircraft to use the facility and provide added safety.
Airport Commission Chairman Chip Hood noted that when Florida Tech played Shorter University earlier this month, the team came in on a regional jet and bought 1,026 gallons of fuel.
“That’s a big economic boost for us,” Hood noted.
“The airport is an under-used asset. When we get the runway extended it’s going to be even better.”
Mike Van Wie with Baker Consulting said several subcontractors are gathering environmental information, which must
be submitted for a federal construction permit.
KB Environmental Inc. is doing air studies. Brockington and Associates is preparing a report on cultural resources — historic and archeological sites — that could be affected. CCR Environmental Inc. has done an aquatics study off Jones Mill Road that turned up no protected species. Ecological Solutions found some bats during its survey, Van Wie said, but not the endangered gray or Georgia Indiana species.
“And we’ll be getting out there soon to look for season-specific endangered plants,” Van Wie said.
Airport General Manager Mike Mathews said environmental work and permitting is expected to continue this year and into 2017.
“We’re hoping to start construction in 2018. It will take most of the year,” he said.
The 2013 special purpose,
local option sales tax package has an earmark of $5,761,000 for the project.
The money will cover the environmental work and any necessary mitigation, engineering, grading, paving and the installation of runway and taxi lights and signage.
Mathews said the extension would be covered
under an existing agreement in which the Federal Aviation Administration pays 90 percent of the maintenance costs, the state picks up 5 percent and the county is responsible for the remaining 5 percent.