After almost 10 years, the first shovels could hit the dirt on the long-awaited runway and taxiway safety improvement project at the Carroll County Regional Airport in Westminster.
The Board of Carroll County Commissioners at their meeting Thursday unanimously approved a contract for grading and drainage design of a new runway at the airport to Delta Airport Consultants Inc. for $3 million.
“We’re going to start going for a site-grading plan,” Bryan Bokey, director of the county’s Department of Public Works said. “This is the first big push, and you’re going to start seeing some work.”
However, no date for the start of construction has been set.
Bokey said that the Federal Aviation Administration is paying 90% of the $3 million, with the county picking up the remaining 10% ($2,790,000).
Commissioners questioned Bokey on whether the approval meant that construction of the new runway was starting.
“Time has come,” Bokey said.
The entire project is expected to be complete in the next 10 to 15 years, he said.
“I didn’t expect it to be that long,” District 4 Commissioner Michael Guerin said.
The airport safety project dates to 2015, when the county, the FAA and the Maryland Aviation Administration completed an Airport Master Plan Update for the regional airport.
The Westminster airport’s new runway is planned to be 400 feet longer than the existing one to allow for aircraft carrying heavier loads. The airport’s lone runway is 5,100 feet long.
As part of the project, a portion of Meadow Branch Road will be relocated to the west to provide for a larger buffer between the roadway and the runway.
The types of aircrafts expected to use the airport during the next 20 years include medium-sized business jets, similar to the Challenger 605 aircraft. These aircrafts typically hold eight to 12 passengers.
There are no plans for large, commercial jets to operate at the airport.
The runway project is an $80 million undertaking with 95% of the funding already approved by the FAA and Maryland Aviation Administration. The remaining 5% is financed through the county’s Airport Enterprise Fund.
Land is still being purchased for the runway project. In April, commissioners approved the purchase of 0.1067 acres at 411 Pleasant Valley Road in Westminster.
The FAA paid 90% of the cost, and the Maryland Aviation Administration will reimburse the county an additional 5%. This will leave the county paying 5% of the cost, or a little over $5,100.
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