Work on the St. George replacement airport continues to move rapidly ahead as work on the first phase of construction which includes rough grading and drainage winds down. This summer there will be seven construction projects associated with the airport under way at the same time. The next phase of construction which involves finish grading is scheduled for a bid opening on May 5th. A main waterline that will provide water to the airport and surrounding areas will be installed concurrently. The new airport terminal building bid will be opened on April 28th and construction is expected to begin this summer. Proposals for fixed base operations, fueling facilities and commercial hangar construction will be received in May. The airfield paving and lighting, roadways and parking are scheduled to be bid in early summer.
One of the advantages to constructing the replacement airport at this time of economic instability is the lower than anticipated construction costs for both labor and materials. Bids have been nearly one half of what they were just a few years ago resulting in a potential savings of millions of dollars. “We’re trying to provide opportunities for local contractors by breaking the work into smaller packages. The on-site water line was awarded to Desert Hills Construction and the off-site sewer and water have been constructed by Quality Excavation, both local companies,” said Mayor Dan McArthur.
Despite the complexities of the project, the replacement airport is still slated to open in early 2011. “This is the biggest and most complex project in the history of the City”, observed Larry Bulloch, Public Works Director for the City of St. George. “It has its challenges, but we have experienced, dedicated professionals on the project team and we are working our way through them.” Airport construction is under an extremely tight time frame which requires constant attention and coordination. Bulloch estimates that there will be as many as 80 to100 different companies involved in the project by the time it is complete. “It involves almost every professional discipline you can imagine from planning, engineering and architecture to financial, legal and construction,” Bulloch said. “We are very fortunate to have something like this happening in our community right now that employs so many people.”
The City has received exceptional support from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). To date, the FAA has committed $123 million to the $160 million project; well beyond their typical 50% cost-sharing participation. “They want us to succeed and are making every effort to make it happen,” said Rick Crosman, Airport Manager. “We all have one common goal to position ourselves to expand and improve aviation services to Southern Utah.”
