BLACKMAN TWP., MI – Pilots frequenting Jackson County Airport could be seeing the construction of a new runway at Reynolds Field as early as October if the FAA release funding for a multi-million dollar project.
Plans to build a new 5,350-foot-long runway costing $13.7 million have been finalized and are awaiting the funding authorization from the FAA.
According to the motion request to the Jackson County Commissioner Board from Airport Manager Kent Maurer, runway 6-24 currently does not meet FAA runway safety requirements, missing safety areas at each end of the runway.
The project was approved by the Michigan Aeronautics Commission Sept. 16 at its board meeting, green-lighting funding from the state.
Jackson County Commissioners approved a consent agreement, pre-approving funding from the county to be spent on the project at the Sept. 15 board meeting.
“We are just waiting for the FAA to release funding from their discretionary fund so we can start,” Maurer said.
The vast majority of the $13.7 million project is being funded by a federal grant from the FAA of $13,015,000 with an additional $342,500 provided by the state and $342,500 from the Jackson County capital budget.
The new runway 7-25 will be 5,350 feet long meeting the FAA safety requirements
A construction start date has not been set yet but Maurer is confidant all the paperwork will be done and work will begin in the first week in October.
Engineering and design for the 7-25 project is being undertaken by engineering firm of Mead and Hunt.
To ensure runway safety and stability, the western end of where the runway is being built will be excavated as it is will be crossing over where the old Jackson landfill use to be.
http://www.mlive.com/news/jackson/index.ssf/2015/09/construction_of_new_runway_at.html