Airport receives funding to plan for runway design

The $780,000 is just a slice of the $7 million needed for the rehabilitation project.

By Lindsey Erin Kroskob

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CHEYENNE - Cheyenne Regional Airport is getting a chunk of money this summer to design renovations to its second runway.

More than $6.5 million was awarded to 10 airports across the state recently for various reconstructive projects, according to a news release from the Wyoming congressional delegation. Cheyenne Regional Airport is getting $780,000 for work on Jerry Olson Field.

And that's only for the design process. The total cost of the runway rehabilitation project will be about $7 million, acting airport manager Dave Haring said.

"The second runway is safe," Haring said, "but with airports, you always want to be ahead of the game."

About 50 percent of the plans are complete, and they should all be finished by the end of this summer. The next step is to advertise for bids and secure the remaining funding for the project, Haring said. Then construction will begin next summer.

"We don't want the construction to interfere with traffic for Cheyenne Frontier Days," Haring said.

This rehabilitation of the second runway is a way to ensure safety of the pilots and passengers.

It will include full-length rehabilitation, with overlay of pavement in some areas and complete reconstruction in others.

"Reliable, high-quality air service is an essential aspect of economic development in Wyoming's communities," U.S. Rep. Barbra Cubin, R-Wyo., said in a prepared statement. "These (Department of Transportation) grants will fill a critical funding gap for many of Wyoming's airports as they make the improvements and upgrades necessary to safely and effectively transport passengers and cargo."

The largest amount of funding, $2,065,003, is going to the Jackson Hole Airport for rehabilitation of a taxiway and extending the life of existing pavement.

The second-highest amount, $1,940,000, will go to the Laramie Regional Airport to update its master plan and rehabilitate the concrete apron.

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