North Adams Airport Taxiway Project A Third Completed
 The taxiways at Harriman & West Airport are the latest surfaces to be fixed. The runways were completed last year. |
Workers from Rifenberg Construction began the some $2.5 million project in September and conclude sometime in November. The project follows the reconstruction of the runways, which was mostly concluded in 2010 with some final safety upgrades finishing in spring 2011.
"It's a 90-day project," interim Airport Manager Bill Greenwald said on Monday.
The project is the next phase in the multifaceted upgrades at the airport. In another year and a half, the airport is expected to begin resurfacing airplane parking areas.
"The paved surfaces had not received major reconstruction since, I don't think ever," Greenwald said. "The pavement was failing."
The project is being funded primarily by the Federal Aviation Administration with the state Department of Transportation and the city chipping in.
While the work is going on, Greenwald said there are "no safety concerns" and the airport is operating as normal. However, there will be about three days when the runway will be shut down.
The 35-foot wide taxiways run the length of the runway and are used by aircraft to move around the airport.
There have a been a lot of changes at the airport in recent years. Beyond the major renovation, Shamrock Aviation, which operated a flight school and offered scenic flights left. Shamrock also managed the sales of aviation fuel, which the city took over control of in July. Former airport manager Matthew Champney, who also worked for Shamrock, resigned to take a position in New Hampshire and Greenwald took the reins until the city hires a new manager.
Despite the changes — some good and some bad — Greenwald said the airport's future is "looking up."
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