Aug. 23—WATERLOO — A major airfield reconstruction project at the Waterloo Regional Airport is expected to wrap up on schedule, but will cost $300,000 more than previously estimated.

"We are about six weeks away from completing a very challenging taxiway reconstruction project, and General Aviation neighboring reconstruction project," Airport Director Keith Kaspari told Cedar Falls City Council last week.

The four-phase project, which improves Taxiway Bravo and the aircraft charter parking area will cost about $5.2 million after a change order processes, he added.

The city back in April projected the cost of it would total $4.85 million and construction would be completed by the end of September. According to Kaspari, expenses are covered largely by funding from the Federal Aviation Administration Airport Improvement Program, and the Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

Original construction is said to date back to 1944, with minor overlays in 1972 and 1984.

The grant from the Airport Improvement Program was awarded last August, and according to Kaspari, it was "too late in the construction season to start and finish all of the work" at that time.

Waterloo city officials, in an April news release, said the project will "continue to provide pavement reconstruction improvements to areas of the airfield that have shown significant deterioration over decades of natural weathering and aircraft use."

The large undertaking will "transition prior asphalt pavements in both locations on the airfield, to concrete, and also includes tree removal, as well as the "resealing of existing concrete pavement joints east of the airline passenger terminal building."

A number of rehabilitation projects have taken place since late 2014, which is when Kaspari took the helm. In an email, he said improvements were made at Taxiway Alpha East, which was in the neighborhood of $1.2 million. A few years ago, Taxiway Charlie underwent a reconstruction, which was nearly $3 million, and touted at the time as being the airport's largest construction project in more than a decade.

In an interview, Kaspari said the design phase for rebuilding the airport's main runway could begin in 2029 or 2030.

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