The Federal Aviation Administration will give a $4.9 million grant to the Fort Smith Regional Airport to finish moving a taxiway 65 feet to the south.
The project, which began in 2010, will cost $5.2 million, said John Parker, the airport director. The federal government is paying 95 percent of that total, he said.
The work is necessary because the taxiway adjacent to the airport's 8,000-foot main runway isn't straight. Where it intersected with the airport's 5,002-foot runway, the centerline of the main taxiway shifted 65 feet.
"It has a dogleg in it that takes the centerline 65 feet out of what you'd expect," Parker said.
That could easily cause confusion for pilots, particularly at night when visibility is low, he said.
Work has already been done to move part of the taxiway, but construction on the largest section -- about 3,500 feet -- has yet to begin. That work will begin after the new grant is received and should be completed by fall 2015, Parker said.
Parker said the airport is moving the taxiway to meet the current FAA design standards. Work will realign the taxiway to make it a "true parallel taxiway," he said.
The main taxiway was constructed decades ago, Parker said.
The airport dates to 1939, when it had two sod runways. Two asphalt runways were constructed in 1945, according to the airport's website, fortsmithairport.com. Most of the taxiways were constructed between 1960 and 1977 and reconstructed or rehabilitated between 1988 and 2002, according to the website.
The main taxiway is 75 feet wide, and each runway is 150 feet wide.
The FAA will make the formal grant offer soon to the Fort Smith Regional Airport Commission, Parker said.
While the work is underway, the airport will have "temporary taxiway displacements," using some ramp space temporarily, Parker said.
News releases from Arkansas' two U.S. senators and a congressman touted the impending grant.
"This funding will allow the airport to make much-needed infrastructure upgrades so they can meet FAA safety standards and continue to support the region's growing business and transportation needs," said Sen. Mark Pryor, a Democrat.
"This is exciting news for my hometown of Fort Smith," said Sen. John Boozman, a Republican. "The investment will help meet the demands placed on the Fort Smith airport and support growth and commerce in the region."
"These funds will allow Fort Smith to make smart, essential improvements to its airport," said Rep. Steve Womack, R-Ark. "Developing our transportation infrastructure is key to the continued growth of the city's and our state's economies."
The funding is supported by the fiscal 2014 omnibus appropriations bill, which was signed into law in January, according to a news release from Womack's office.
State Desk on 08/19/2014