Pryor Field Plans Runway Improvement Project

A $650,777 runway improvement project is planned at Pryor Field Regional Airport with most of the money coming from a Federal Aviation Administration grant.

The FAA grant offer announced this month is for $585,699, while the Alabama Department of Transportation and the Pryor Field Airport Authority would each put in $32,539 for the project, according to Adam Foutz, the airport’s manager since July 15.

The work will include sealing cracks on the runway to prevent moisture from penetrating and damaging the asphalt on the runway surface, Foutz said. Before the sealing process, all vegetation must be eliminated from the cracks, he said.

Next, a product called P-608 will be applied for a seal coat, Foutz said. The product penetrates through the asphalt and becomes part of the surface, creating a barrier against weather elements, fuel spills and wear and tear from daily use. Temporary, then final, runway markings will be applied in the third phase of the project.

“This project will extend the life of our runway and prevent having to do a more costly full-depth runway overlay in the immediate future, as we continue to improve our current infrastructure for continued growth,” Foutz said.

The runway is 6,107 feet long and 100 feet wide, according to Foutz.

“This airport is well-maintained and the runway is well-maintained,” said Judith Burleson, the manager of Learjetjohn Aviation at Pryor Field, which has four part-time flight instructors. “We’re happy to see that’s continuing.”

The timing of the repairs is not definite.

“We’re planning the project around the weather,” Foutz said. “It could start as late as next spring. We’re trying to have a minimal impact on our customers.”

Foutz said applications will be submitted this fall for three other grants: an FAA grant to put toward sealing the cracks and applying a seal coat on the airport’s taxiway and ramp, and ALDOT grants to help buy 5 acres of property to the south of the main terminal building and to build additional hangars to meet the growing demand for them.

The number of hangars that would be built hasn’t been determined.

The airport now has 113 aircraft based there, up from 84 in 2017, according to Foutz.

“We have a wait list of over 20 aircraft for hangars,” he said.

— [email protected] or 256-340-2438. Twitter @DD_MAccardi.

———

Visit The Decatur Daily (Decatur, Ala.) at www.decaturdaily.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.