Plattsburgh Airport Closure Dates Selected Before Pandemic
Apr. 1—PLATTSBURGH — The dates of Plattsburgh International Airport's temporary runway closure were chosen prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Clinton County Legislature Airport Committee Chair Robert Hall (D-Area 10).
But the combination of reduced air travel during the springtime and the ongoing COVID-related restrictions on nonessential travel across the Canadian border made the timing even more ideal, he continued.
"If there is any one good thing that came out of COVID for Clinton County, it's that we could close down and not hurt our airport too badly."
MIDFIELD PORTION
Airport Manager Chris Kreig previously said two approximately 2,000-foot sections on the southern end of the 11,759-foot runway were redone in 2008 and 2018.
During the temporary closure from April 13 through June 22, about 4,400 feet of the midfield portion is slated to be repaved. The remaining 3,700 feet on the northern end is set to be completed by the beginning of September.
Tom Horth, a principal engineer with C&S Companies, which designed the project, explained at a recent Airport Committee meeting that the project had taken many different shapes over the years. Of late, he continued, the Federal Aviation Administration has favored consolidating such endeavors so they can be completed in shorter amounts of time.
Due to a provision in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act passed last year, the FAA will cover the full cost of the $12.5 million project instead of the typical 90 percent.
AIR TRAVEL RECORDS
Since the temporary closure was first announced, questions have circulated among the public regarding why the dates were chosen.
According to Hall, selecting the April 13 to June 22 timeline involved looking over records to determine the slowest period for air travel.
County residents and Canadians do not typically travel to Florida or elsewhere during April, May and June, he continued, and a mid-April start time allows for snowbirds who usually journey back north April 1.
Horth said Rifenburg Construction Inc. of Troy, the project's general contractor, will try to expedite reopening if possible.
"We put out safe durations, accounting for Mother Nature, accounting for production, material shortfalls, but those are things that can't be guaranteed."
However, Rifenburg is aware of significant penalties should runway not reopen by June 22.
"Obviously we will know that ahead of time and will react to that, but we are not anticipating having to have those discussions," Horth said.
COST, LOGISTICS
Addressing inquiries about whether the project could be done in smaller portions in order to avoid closure, Horth explained that piecemealing increases cost, pushes out project completion and involves more logistics.
"When you continually change the length of available runway, there's a whole set of procedure that needs to be pre-approved by the FAA," he added.
"In addition, our feeling is that it adds more risk. So safety is jeopardized when you start publicizing that there's 'X' amount of feet of runway available, and only a couple weeks later saying now there's this much available, now there's this much."
Hall further noted that there needs to be 1,000 feet of clearance between construction workers and where available runway ends.
LONG OVERDUE
Horth emphasized the project is safety-related, and said the age of the concrete is approaching 70 years. Though there are several cracks and patches, he continued, the reality is unforeseen popouts.
"Those are the parts you don't see because of freeze/thaw," Horth explained. "In the middle of the summer when the concrete has no place to go, it bursts up, and that's when it becomes a real emergency and that would necessitate a closure of the runway, which certainly nobody wants any more than what we're discussing now."
The project is long overdue, he continued.
"The pavement that's out there is old, it's tired, and at the end of the day, come Labor Day, you'll have a brand new runway and it's going to look and perform better than it has."
The industry life of new pavements is about 20 years and includes a routine maintenance program.
RE-USE CONCRETE
Horth explained that, through the remediation process, a machine will bust up the existing concrete, allowing it to be re-used as a base.
When the project is done, five inches of asphalt will sit atop 15 or 16 inches of concrete, he said.
"Once it gets beaten up and compressed down, that's actually used as your pavement structure. So it's actually a good, sustainable method that's being used."
The same method has been utilized at other former military airports, Horth continued, noting that, though the concrete is unreinforced, it is extremely dense.
Additionally, the reused concrete will not see the freeze-thaw cycles, de-icing treatments, harsh chemicals or traffic the current pavement does.
"It's going to be buried so it's actually going to extend the life of that material."
Email Cara Chapman:
Twitter: @PPR_carachapman
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