BUCYRUS – Work is underway on a $2.1 million improvement project to extend the taxiway at Port Bucyrus-Crawford County Airport south of town.
Blacktop work on the taxiway surface started on Monday. The overall project, however, was delayed because it was too wet to trench the area in the spring, according to airport manager Kevin DeTray.
A federal grant awarded last year by the Federal Aviation Administration is funding the improvements, which also include the installation of brand-new LED lighting on the taxiway, DeTray said.
“Things are in full speed right now and should be finished very soon,” DeTray said. “It’s definitely a big safety feature. It’s very important for present users of the airport and potential corporate users too.”
The airport, located on Isaac Beal Road, maintained a 1,300-foot-long taxiway, DeTray said, but the addition extends it another 2,700 feet so that it now runs parallel to the entire length of the runway.
As part of the upgrades, another new light called a Precision Approach Path Indicator, or PAPI unit, is being added, DeTray said. It will replace the older unit, which is out-of-date and no longer serviceable.
Once the blacktop is painted to meet FAA guidelines and allowed to cure for two weeks, the electrical work will begin, DeTray said. “Obviously we’d like to get it done as quickly as possible. We’re close to the end for this project.”
Rietschlin Construction, Inc. of Crestline – the lowest of four bidders – is the general contractor for the project. Sub-contract work is being done by the Kokosing Co. of Fredericktown, he said.
“Hopefully by the end of this month we’ll be up and running and 100-percent ready to go.”
