SOMERSET – A $312,215 project was approved Tuesday clearing the way for a Massachusetts company to repair or replace most of the perimeter fence surrounding Somerset County Airport.
GMH Fence Co. was awarded a contract to install or repair stretches of 8-foot-tall metal mesh wildlife fencing around the heart of the 231-acre airport property – a move aimed at ensuring deer and other animals stay clear of the runway, airport manager Dave Wright said.
“You can already imagine what a deer does to a car. If a plane is hit ... while landing or taking off, it can be fatal, too,” he said.
Wright said the perimeter fence has been installed at the rear of the property for years, but upgrades are needed.
The Friedens area airport is a municipal airport that primarily serves single engine planes.
Somerset County Commissioners approved the fence project contract Tuesday, alongside another award and a separate change order for the airport.
A $4,973 job was approved for L.R. Kimball to provide professional engineering services regarding planned equipment upgrades.
And separately, a $13,888 expense was also OK’d to remove additional trees and other obstructions near the runway, a move county officials said brought the total contract to $89,616.
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