The runway at the Genesee County Airport will be able to accommodate larger planes once the center portion is replaced.
The runway hasn’t been resurfaced since 1978, according to Tim Hens, the highway superintendent.
“It’s basically original to when they built the airport,” Hens said. “It’s actually a limiting factor on the size of the airplanes that we can bring into the airport right now.”
After the reconstruction, Hens said a medium-sized business jet will be able to land on the runway.
The 3,000-foot stretch that will be reconstructed is in between the extension that occurred in 2005 and the restoration in 2007. The pavement depth varies from five to nine inches, Hens said.
The reconstruction will be covered under 95 percent federal and state aid.
“This is very similar to other airport projects we’ve done,” Hens said.
Northeast Paving, in Lancaster, was the lowest bidder for the project, at just over $3.1 million.
C&S engineers provided a construction inspection contract, at a little over than $305,000.
Both bids are contingent on receiving the grant, which will likely be given in August, Hens said.
“They usually expect us to turn it around in five days,” Hens said.
Hens said the construction will be phased so there will always be a portion of the runway open.
“We’ve limited the actual shutdown,” Hens said. “There will a one-week period of time where we have to shut down the entire runway, but that will be during the night only.”
There will still be 2,000 feet of the runway available for use when the construction is going on, Hens said.
“If they do it right, we’re hoping we can get another 40 years out of the pavement,” Hens said. “So we won’t have to do it again, at least not in my lifespan.”
