Airport Commission approves major taxiway project

story by Aric Mitchell
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Fort Smith Regional Airport Commissioners chose not to take any chances regarding the weather at May’s monthly meeting. Memories of crowding into the airport bathrooms while under a tornado warning last month caused Chairman Jan Nordin to “expedite” the agenda.

But weather did not stop Airport Director John Parker and staff from moving forward on the multi-year construction project for Taxiway A West.

Following the April meeting, the stage had been set to acquire bids for phase one of the project, which carried with it an estimated total cost of around $1.5 million. The winning bid went to Forsgren Inc., with $1.359 million price tag and was approved unanimously by the Commissioners.

Greg Shipley of the consulting firm Morrison-Shipley Engineers Inc. (MSE), endorsed the offer as it came in $43,000 under his estimates.

“We (MSE) felt we received good unit prices, good numbers, and a good contractor,” Shipley told the Commission prior to voting.

The project is expected to take 180 days to complete and should be finished before the end of 2011. Phase II is expected to break ground in 2012 and cost approximately $2 million, while Phase III is planned for 2013 at a cost of $4 million.

The entire project will run close to $8 million, but according to Director Parker, 95% of the cost is reimbursable under Airport Improvement Program (AIP) funding. Parker said the “financial need” of the airport in the first phase of the project would be only $190,000, and that, too, could be AIP eligible.

In related developments, Parker said bids would be accepted for the West Corporate Taxiway improvements on June 22 and numbers would be available for the Commission at the June meeting, scheduled for June 28. The project is under design and will be advertised the first week of June, Parker said.

With the Fort Smith Air Show less than five months away, Parker also took time at the meeting to advise the board that limited outdoor advertising would be allowed for sponsors along McKenna. Airport policy forbids the use of outdoor banners for that section of real estate, but allows the Airport Director to make the final call.

“Recognizing the local sponsors that help put the Air Show on is a good thing,” Parker said. “Where exactly the banners will go up is to be negotiated, but it would be my intent that we will approve banners that just have logos, and none of the verbiage that would go along with a more direct advertisement. We’re thinking these will include logo, name of the organization, colors and maybe a website, nothing more.”

The banners would go up “more than a week” prior to the Air Show, Parker said, and they would have to be removed by no later than the Monday following the close of the event.

To close, it was announced that the Fort Smith Board of Directors approved reappointments for Commissioners Larry Devero and Ryan Carter. The terms are good to 2016.