Airport Commission Approves Runway Extension Project

The Effingham County Airport Commission Wednesday awarded a bid for extension of the east-west runway at the airport.

The project was awarded to McCarthy Improvement for $5,059,074. In addition to the runway extension to 6,000 feet, the work will include an extension of the associated taxiway to the new proposed end.

Work will also include relocating a quarter-mile stretch of the township road on the east end of the airport property to make way for the runway extension. That project will be paid for entirely with local funds. County Engineer Greg Koester said the cost of the work is estimated at $170,000. Koester said some equipment is needed for some of the relocation work so he plans to look at whether to do the work in-house or to bid the work, or to look at some combination of the two.

Koester said he hopes to coordinate the relocation of the road with McCarthy's tearing out of the existing roadway to make way for the runway extension. He said earlier that ground could be broken on the project as soon as June.

Also Wednesday, the Airport Commission awarded a bid to replace the signage on the airport terminal to Double D Signs for $2,454. The signage change will reflect the new name for the airport of Effingham County Regional Airport. There was also discussion of hiring an individual as Assistant Airport Manager, and of that person becoming a fulltime employee after he graduates. 

Airport Manager Jerry Tate said repairs were made to the roof of the Graham hangar building for $3,700 to stop leaks. Tate said the cost to replace the roof was up to $60,000.