• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Runway Work at Erie, Pa., Airport Could Start in Fall

Posted on: Friday, 8 July 2005, 21:00 CDT

Jul. 8--The process hasn't been easy and it hasn't been cheap, but Erie International Airport officials believe they are on track to begin their runway extension project in mid-October.

The only obstacle to starting the $53 million project is obtaining the final environmental clearance for a longer runway.

"The most recent schedule we have been given shows the environmental process will be wrapped up by Oct. 14," said Kelly Fredericks, the airport's executive director. "And we are targeting a formal groundbreaking on or shortly after the 14th."

The clearance the airport has been seeking since 2000 is called a finding of no significant impact, or FONSI.

Fredericks estimated the effort has cost $2 million so far.

The complexity of the runway project, which would touch a highway, golf course and Superfund waste site, has produced an extended environmental planning process.

The runway extension is considered the key part of a plan to reinvigorate the airport and make possible an international cargo center -- perhaps one that involves trans-Atlantic flights to Germany.

The Erie Municipal Airport Authority agreed Thursday to tap the airport's line of credit with National City Bank for $749,000 to catch up on the bills for the environmental clearance.

The Airport Authority will use income from its passenger facility charge to repay the loan. The airport collects $4.50 from every passenger who boards a flight in Erie.

Fredericks said a draft FONSI is expected to be available for public review and comment later in July, and will be available at the airport, at libraries and possibly other locations.

Officials hope to hold another required hearing on the environmental assessment sometime in the third week of August.

-----

To see more of the Erie Times-News, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.GoErie.com.

Copyright (c) 2005, Erie Times-News, Pa.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

For information on republishing this content, contact us at (800) 661-2511 (U.S.), (213) 237-4914 (worldwide), fax (213) 237-6515, or e-mail reprints@krtinfo.com.

NCC,

Source: Erie Times-News

More News in this Category