Runway extension to start construction next week
After a few bouts of heavy rain, the first part of the runway extension project at Richard B. Russell Regional Airport is scheduled to begin next week.
Having dry ground is crucial since the first phase of the project is grading and drainage work. Airport Manager John Carroll said he expects the phase to be completed by late summer or early fall.
Bartow Paving of Cartersville was awarded the grading and drainage portion of the project in August 2020. Construction was delayed several times awaiting approval from the Federal Aviation Administration and Georgia Department of Transportation.
Voters approved the $5.7 million project in the 2013 special purpose, local option sales tax.
The purpose of the project is to extend the runway past 7,000 feet to accommodate larger aircraft. A point of pride, local officials have said Rome would have the second-longest runway in North Georgia excluding Hartsfield-jackson Atlanta International Airport.
The original plan was to complete the project in one phase, but when it went out for bid in July 2018, the few responses in bid applications were all over the available budget.
County officials then split the project into three phases: grading and drainage, paving and finally electrical work.
County commissioners also recently approved the purchase of components for a new gate project at the airport.
Carroll said the project is to make the airport more secure and almost completely fenced in, save for the northern part.
Owens Security Solutions of Calhoun was chosen for the project at $68,539 to move Gate 10 to a gap in the fence on Capitoline Drive on the outside perimeter.
Once concern was how to accommodate a Redmond EMS unit on the site. The hospital leases out the unit in order to rapidly respond to that portion of the county.
Carroll explained that their current solution is to have a “hot button” access the EMTS can utilize to open the gate and exit the site quickly.