ROGERS -- The Executive Airport is gearing up for this summer's runway improvement and lighting project and officials hope to use a temporary runway closing to improve storm water drainage.
Last month, City Council approved using $6 million in carryover money for the runway improvement project, which will keep the airport in accordance to Federal Aviation Administration guidelines. Construction is scheduled in June and will close the airport for a matter of days.
In anticipation of the project, workers cleared trees at the south end of the airport, said David Krutsch, airport manager. The trees aren't on airport property, but the owner allowed workers to clear them, rather than trim them every few years. Test strips for asphalt, set up for access gates and stockpiling material has begun for the project. Further preparation will be in April, Krutsch said.
Signs in the airport lobby and index cards, both prepared by Garver LLC, announce to transient pilots the June closing.
"The only major factor that could delay the runway project is weather," Krutsch said, emphasizing maintaining the project's momentum once construction is started is key. Adding a couple of days to the completion time shouldn't be cause for great concern. "If it's a deluge, we'll think about that. It will be a judgment call."
Krutsch said the airport closing for the project would be the ideal time to work with the city's Community Development Department to make storm water drainage improvements.
Assistant City Engineer Lance Jobe & Community Development Director John McCurdy are working with the airport to address storm water issues off site by designing a stormwater detention pond near the southwest corner of the airport property -- property not owned by the airport.
"This is not a new issue, but one that's gotten worse in recent years," Krutsch said. "A dry pond would negate downstream flooding and capture future growth and development that the airport may have."
Garver is the intended design firm for the project because the firm has knowledge about the storm water issues of the area following a study of the southeast apron in 2012.
Commissioner Ray Hobbs agreed the project was good to consider, given the "tremendous rains in recent years."
The problem, said John McCurdy, is two pieces of commercial property are affected.
"The water flows in and shoots across in to warehouse and causes damage to equipment, goes across and floods the road," McCurdy said. "The detention pond would be an accumulator to flow between the two properties."
Krutsch said they'd tried restricting water flow in the past, but could now try using infield areas for detention. The project's focus would be on the construction of a detention pond.
"This impacts airport and operations and what we want to accomplish," Krutsch said. "We want to minimize impact while runway is closed. There's an opportunity here."
The Airport Commission met Monday and also approved the design for a new entrance sign to the Rogers Executive Airport. The commission tentatively approved the design of the $25,000 sign before, but awaited updated graphics showing the roughly 5-foot tall red brick sign with four, back-lit panels for business names on each side.
Ray Hobbs and Clyde Tempel both expressed concern for needing more panels as the number of airport businesses continues to grow, but the commission conceded in a growth spurt, another sign could be implemented, perhaps on a different side of the airport.
NW News on 03/14/2017