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Runway Added at Rock Airport in West Deer

Posted on: Tuesday, 12 July 2005, 12:00 CDT

Jul. 12--Rock Airport in West Deer has received a $1.7 million state grant to complete a 5,500-foot runway and apron project.

Rock Ferrone, the airport president, said the latest state grant should enable the runway to reopen in 60 to 75 days.

The airport currently is closed while the runway is being rebuilt. The runway rehabilitation is part of a larger project proposed by Ferrone to combine the airfield with an industrial park.

So far, there are five businesses, including Ferrone's, operating in the park. He eventually hopes to have about 30 companies employing 8,000 to 10,000 people in the park, which covers about 325 acres.

Ferrone said the runway project will end up costing about $12 million, with the state supplying about $8 million of that.

The new runway will be 5,500 feet long and 100 feet wide. That will be more than double the old runway, which was 2,600 feet long and 39 feet wide.

"We were fortunate to get a pretty heavy impact from the state for what we feel is a very important project," Ferrone said.

Ferrone has had chilly relations with county Chief Executive Dan Onorato, who had held up more than $400,000 Ferrone claimed the county was obligated to spend on the project. The loan, committed by former chief executive Jim Roddey, eventually was released.

The Allegheny County Airport, meanwhile, received $275,625 from the state to acquire field maintenance equipment and rehabilitate concrete and asphalt.

The grants were part of more than $2.8 million awarded to general aviation airports throughout the state.

In Washington County, Bandel Airport in Eighty Four received $75,000 for a runway extension and Finleyville Airpark received $74,625 for snow removal equipment, removal of runway obstructions and engineering for a new hangar site.

Rostraver Airport in Monongahela, Westmoreland County, was awarded $250,000 for hangar construction.

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Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

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