FAA gives Tulsa airport trust $825,000 grant for runway, hangar work

Sept. 14, 2012

Sept. 14-- An $825,000 federal grant for a main runway safety area and hangar demolition project at Tulsa International Airport was accepted on Thursday by the Tulsa Airports Improvement Trust.

Trustees also authorized spending $580,250 for the purchase and installation of a TAIT financial management system and amended a $15.6 million main runway reconstruction contract awarded last month to include the replacement of an aircraft arresting system for the Oklahoma Air National Guard.

In its annual election of officers, the board unanimously approved the re-election of Charles Sublett as chairman and Mary Smith as vice-chairwoman.

The $825,000 Federal Aviation Administration grant will fund construction of a 500-by-12,000-foot safety area off the 10,000-foot main north-south runway at Tulsa International Airport.

Jeff Hough, deputy airports director of engineering and facilities, said the safety area extends 250 feet on either side from the runway centerline and 1,000 feet from each end of the runway.

"It's basically a cleared area without obstructions that is capable of supporting an aircraft if a pilot runs off the end of the runway," Hough said. "It gives you a clear area to allow the aircraft to stop without major damage."

The FAA grant also will pay for asbestos removal from Hangar 10, the Depression-era hangar on the west side of the airport that is in the runway protection zone of the east-west crosswind runway, Hough said. Another FAA grant has been awarded TAIT for the demolition of Hangar 10.

The board approved the spending of $580,250 from a $2 million line of credit with Arvest Bank for the purchase and installation of a financial management system.

Trustees approved a $414,000 contract with Crowe Horwath LLP, Dallas, to install the system. Magnir Group, LLC, Tulsa, was awarded an $166,250 contract as project manager.

Board members approved an amendment to a $15.6 million contract awarded last month to Interstate Highway Construction Inc. for the third 5,000-foot phase of the main runway reconstruction project.

The amendment concerns construction of a $3.04 million aircraft arresting system for the Oklahoma Air National Guard.

Hough said when the phase three runway contract was awarded last month, the Oklahoma Air National Guard did not have funding for the arresting system. The funding now is secured, he said.

The board accepted the completed $6.99 million, 1,200-foot second phase of the main runway reconstruction project and approved a $220,351 final payment to Sherwood Construction Co. Inc. of Tulsa.

An $8,599 air park shelter project in the public area just south of Jones Riverside Airport also was approved by the board.

Kid's Place Design, LLC, the lowest bidder, will supply a 20-foot square shelter that will be assembled by airport maintenance staff in the area that is designated as a future airport observation area, officials said.

D.R. Stewart 918-581-8451

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