Airport Safety Improvements and Expansion (original) (raw)

The Pittsfield Municipal Airport Commission recently completed a major capital improvement project that included:

This project was a result of an airport master planning process that began in 1998 and completed in 2001 that identified deficiencies in the facility based on existing use and future aviation demand forecasts. The Airport had experienced 2,500 to 3,000 annual jet operations with an airport facility designed to late 1960's FAA design standards. The Airport Commission had a facility that was not compliant with updated FAA safety design standards for corporate jet aircraft and was faced with two general scenarios.

In summary there was one of two decisions to make;

  1. Clear the obstructions and construct compliant safety areas on the existing footprint of the main runway. This results in a shortened runway to allow room to construct the safety areas which would reduce the runway to a length that would not be compatible for corporate jet use.
    OR
  2. Increase the footprint of the main runway to allow enough room to build compliant safety areas, increase the runway length and clear the obstructions. This results in operational compatibility for continued corporate jet aircraft use.

The Airport Commission, City, State, and National elected officials, regional business leaders and agencies, and public comment, overwhelmingly supported the infrastructure improvements needed to increase the footprint of the main runway and build the FAA compliant improvements. This decision resulted in the continued ability for the airport to retain and attract safe corporate jet operations into the 21st Century.

Funding was approved for construction of the improvement project totaling 22.5million−FAA(22.5 million - FAA (22.5million−FAA(6 million), MassDOT Aeronautics ($13.5 million) and City ($3 million). In October 2009, eleven years after the planning process began and the environmental analysis started, all environmental permits were received. On the heels of the permits the final design was completed and in December 2010 (twelve years after initial studies) construction to build the first phase of the improvements began and was completed within the year. The second phase of the improvements began in December 2011 and was substantially complete one year later.

The following are some pictures of these improvements under construction:

CLEARING OBSTRUCTIONS – TREES Clearing Obstruction

EXCAVATING OVER ONE MILLION CUBIC YARDS OF EARTH FOR USE TO BUILD THE SAFETY AREAS AND EXTEND THE RUNWAY

Excavating

PLACING THE MATERIAL TO BUILD THE SAFETY AREAS AND EXTEND THE RUNWAY Placing Material to Build

ON SITE ROCK PROCESSING PLANT WITH CROWN PLAZA & GE BUILDING 100 SEEN IN BACKGROUND

Processing_Plant

AERIAL CONSTRUCTION VIEW OF THE CUT AND FILL EXTENSION AREA

Cut and Fill Extension Area

**AERIAL CONSTRUCTION VIEW OF THE CUT AND FILL AREA

Cut and View2

FLEET OF LARGE END DUMP EARTH MOVERS

Earth Movers

EXCAVATED (CUT) AREA

Excavated (Cut) Area

CUT AND FILL PROJECT SITE (VIEWS OF MT GREYLOCK AND DOWTOWN CROWN PLAZA HOTEL IN BACKGROUND)

Cut and Fill Project Site

VIEW OF FILL AREA FOR SAFETY AREA AND RUNWAY EXTENSION (EXISTING RUNWAY IN BACKGROUND)

Fill Area for Runway Extension

VIEW OF CUT AREA WITH CROWN PLAZA IN BACKGROUND

View of Cut Area - Crown Plaza in Bckgrd

VIEW OF CUT AREA UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Cut Area under Construction

VIEW OF CUT AREA COMPLETED WITH NEW ALIGNMENT

OF SOUTH MOUNTAIN ROAD BEING PAVED

Cut Area Completed

UNOBSTRUCTED VIEW LOOKING EAST TOWARD CITY FROM NEW RUNWAY 26 END

New Runway 26 End

VIEW LOOKING WEST TOWARD RICHMOND FROM THE NEW RUNWAY 26 END View West from New Runway 26 End

**VIEW FROM RUNWAY 8 END LOOKING EAST TOWARD CITY (GE BUILDING 100 IN BACKGROUND)

View from Runway 8 End Looking East