City selects contractor for airport renovation project
City officials have approved a contract with Snyder & Associates, Inc., for $1.5 million renovation project at the Red Oak Regional Airport.
“The project is to remove and replace the airfield light system for Runway 5/23 and the connecting taxiways,” explained Red Oak City Administrator Brad Wright. “The lighting system being replaced was originally constructed in 1988 and is reaching the end of its useful life.”
The project includes interleaved, base-mounted runway edge and threshold lighting, base-mounted taxiway edge lighting, new conduit and conductors, home run connection, duct bank, and regulators for up to five circuits. The project also includes replacing the airport's wind cone with an LED lighted, Size 2 wind cone, and a new L-854 radio receiver. Wright added there was still much work to do before actual construction on the project would begin.
“The project for which the airport commission and council approved the engineering agreement at this time is for only the design aspect of the above described work. This is being broken out as two separate projects with design to happen in 2022 and construction to happen in 2023. Right now, we’re very early in the design phase,” said Wright.
The proposed construction schedule on the project is as follows, though any or all dates are subject to change:
• Dec. 17: Topographic survey deliverable completed.
• Feb. 25th, 2022: 30% design submittal.
• March 11, 2022: FAA comments on engineer's design report and CSPP received.
• May 27, 2022: 90% design submittal.
• June 10, 2022: FAA comments on 90% drawings and project manual received.
• Jan. 30, 2023: Project posted for bidding.
• Feb. 24, 2023: Bid opening at Red Oak Fire Station.
• May 1, 2023: Award of construction contract.
• May 26, 2023- Anticipated end of task order.
Red Oak Airport manager Kevin McGrew said the project will not have a major impact on the airport’s day-to-day operations, and there will be no long-term closure.
“Once the construction starts in mid-2023, we’re going to have to shut down runway 523, the one they are working on, because they will be trenching and working along that. And for short time periods, they’ll have to shut down the whole airport when they go through the intersection, but that should just be for a few hours for a certain number of days. So the airport will stay open, with the only long-term closure that one runway as they are working on it. I haven’t heard the estimates yet, but I think they’re expecting about a month’s worth of work once they start the construction,” McGrew said.
McGrew added he is looking forward to getting the project completed, as it’s a major improvement to the more than 30-year-old lighting.
“They are starting to fail, and you don’t want to have the system fail and then start to design a fix, so it’s definitely time to get this done,” McGrew stated.
Cost of the engineering contract with Snyder is estimated at $135,141. As for the project itself, Wright said a significant portion of the project is being paid for through government funding.
“This is a federal project funded at 90 percent through the FAA. The federal share of the cost is $1,348,200, and the local share of the project cost is $149,800,” stated Wright.