Manhattan Regional Airport Construction Delayed Until End of September

"Late last week our contracting company, Clarkson Construction, basically dropped a bomb on us with the electrical work," airport director Brandon Keazer said. "We basically learned that it didn't look like their subcontractors performing that electrical work (were) going to be able to do that work until closer to the end of September."

As previously reported by The Mercury, the construction project includes the "rubblization" of the airport's main runway. This technique involves the construction crew crumbling the existing runway and putting down new layers of asphalt and concrete over the crumbled surface. The construction crew will also reconstruct the secondary runway, as well as adjacent intersections and five taxiways.

The delay is caused by a labor shortage, Keazer said.

Liquidated damages or a penalty will be charged against Clarkson if they are unable to complete the project by Sept. 1. The company will be fined $15,000 per day past the original deadline.

No extra charges will be paid by the airport.

The airport will not be open before the Kansas State football season begins. However, Crossman Runway is open for smaller plane use.

"Regardless, our Crossman runway is already open," Keazer said. "So for a lot of our K-State alumni who like flying in to see the games, that is still available since we have that open."

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