Walla Walla Regional Airport's Apron Reconstruction Expands with Environmental and Structural Challenges
A planned rehabilitation of the Walla Walla Regional Airport's aging north apron, also referred to as a tarmac or ramp, now requires reconstruction, increasing project costs by an estimated $90,000.
After an evaluation of the World War II-era tarmac, Mead and Hunt Engineers found the subbase, the foundation of the tarmac, is not up to standard.
Planes use the apron for loading and unloading, maintenance and refueling. The apron's subbase ranged from half an inch to 4 inches thick, thinner than the standard described in project documents, and will undergo additional environmental reviews by engineers.
The expected cost of the environmental reviews is $16,948.
Jennifer Skoglund, the Port’s airport manager, said: "With those results, this is pushing the project into a reconstruction project."
Walla Walla airport awarded $1.28M for equipment, improvements
Walla Walla Regional Airport will rehabilitate its apron, or tarmac, and purchase new snow removal equipment with almost $1.3 million in federal funding.
In January, the Port approved the rehabilitation of the north apron and selected a contractor to oversee the project. At the time, the project's estimated cost was $711,873, and the Port applied for an Airport Improvement Program grant from the Federal Aviation Administration to provide $676,279 in funds.
According to the Port's staff report, the grant will cover costs regarding engineer designs, environmental reviews and construction of the apron project.
The north apron is the last section of the Walla Walla Regional Airport to be rehabilitated. The airport's tarmac was partially rehabilitated in 2012, 2013, 2022, 2023 and 2024.
Port Commissioners Kip Kelly, Amy Schwab and Ron Dunning approved two engineering agreements, including an expanded drainage design and an environmental design, during the Thursday, Aug. 28, Port meeting.
Approved work at the site includes improving about 37,000 square yards of pavement by overlaying mixed asphalt on the concrete, replacing the existing drainage system and remarking the tarmac.
The additional work includes reviewing the tarmac's subbase. Because of this new work, the Port is also required to meet additional stormwater drainage requirements. The estimated cost of this new requirement is $72,940.
With the finding, the Port must meet the National Marine Fisheries Service requirement that runoff water at the construction site will not reach state waters.
The project's newly approved work will also need to meet requirements from the FAA and the National Historic Preservation Act. In the staff report, the Port wrote it expects the FAA to help meet this expectation and work with the Washington State Historic Preservation Office.
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