John Murtha Johnstown-Cambria County Airport Opts for Do-It-Yourself Runway Paint Job
An emergency solution to a government-ordered runway-marking project will end up saving money at John Murtha Johnstown-Cambria County Airport, according to airport officials.
Following the annual Federal Aviation Administration inspections in May, the airport was ordered to repaint much of the main runway markings because the paint’s reflective glass beads had worn off.
Airport engineer Cory Cree of L. Robert Kimball & Associates, of Ebensburg, estimated it would cost $406,000 to contract the job, and it was too late to obtain federal or state grants and meet the FAA’s Sept. 30 deadline.
Airport Manager Thomas Keyes said he requested an extension, but it was denied.
On the instruction of the authority last month, Keyes and Josh Keyser, maintenance supervisor, looked into purchasing pavement marking equipment, reflective paint and glass beads for their crews to do the work.
Through the state’s cooperative purchasing program, COSTARS, the authority can save the cost and time of getting bids on the equipment and supplies, Keyes said. The state-negotiated price of a pavement painter is $28,517.
The paint and beads will come to $63,599, Keyes said.
The authority voted unanimously on Tuesday to buy the painter, paint and beads and have Keyser’s crew begin the marking as weather permits.
“I think we get the benefit down the line because we own the machine,” authority Chairman James Loncella said. “If we own the machine, we can lease it out.”
Keyes said he can contact other airports in the region to discuss leasing the machine when the other facilities’ runways need to be marked.
In other matters:
• Keyes noted that the 130-foot flagpole at Gander Outdoors was replaced Saturday with a 90-foot flagpole. The FAA had identified the towering pole as a potential hazard to aviation, ruling the maximum height should be 96 feet.
• The authority approved replacement of an air circulation unit in the terminal’s restaurant kitchen for less than $15,000 as the first phase of a three-phase project to upgrade heating, ventilation and air conditioning throughout the terminal building.
• Keyes updated authority members on efforts by the 167th Airlift Wing of the West Virginia Air National Guard and Pittsburgh-based 911th Airlift Wing of Air Force Reserve to establish assault landing training at the airport. Keyes said he will discussing the next step with representatives from both units within the next month.
Randy Griffith is a multimedia reporter for The Tribune-Democrat. He can be reached at 532-5057. Follow him on Twitter @PhotoGriffer57.
———
©2019 The Tribune-Democrat (Johnstown, Pa.)
Visit The Tribune-Democrat (Johnstown, Pa.) at www.tribune-democrat.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
