BUCYRUS–A $2.1 million project to extend the taxiway at Port Bucyrus-Crawford County Airport has officially “taken off.”

A federal grant awarded to the airport this year by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is funding the improvement project, which also includes updating the lighting adjacent to the runway, according to airport manager Kevin DeTray.

“It’s a very big safety issue,” DeTray said. “This way, it minimizes having one or more aircraft on the runway at the same time.

The goal for the FAA is always safety, and that takes priority as far as what we need to do also for future grant applications.”

Rietschlin Construction, Inc. of Crestline is the general contractor for the project since they were the lowest of four bidders, DeTray said. Their heavy equipment started “moving dirt” last week, he said, but work was halted a few days recently because of rain.

The airport’s current taxiway is about 1,300 feet long, DeTray said. The addition, once complete, will lengthen it another 2,700 feet, he said, so that eventually, it will run the entire length of the runway.
New LED taxiway lights will also be installed, he said.

As part of the project, another new light called a Precision Approach Path Indicator, or PAPI unit, will be added, DeTray said, providing a much-needed upgrade to the municipal airport south of town. “Our old unit is out-of-date and is no longer serviceable.”

The contract with Rietschlin Construction, which was signed in August, allows for up to 190 days to complete the job, DeTray said. “However, it’s everybody’s desire and goal to have it completed much sooner than that. Of course, that’s subject to weather conditions.”

Port Bucyrus, located on Isaac Beal Road, also maintains a grass landing strip. In 2022, DeTray said, the goal is to resurface ramp areas and possibly purchase additional property to the south of the facility as part of a 10-year Airport Capital Improvement Program (ACIP).

The local aviation community, he said, has been fortunate for years to have had cooperation from both Bucyrus City Council and the mayor’s office in running the airport. “We would not be able to do this without the blessing of the administration and city councils.”