Airport Receives Grant
Jefferson County's Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport is getting a lot of bang for its buck. For only $159,000 from the airport's budget, the county is getting an additional $3,431,000 million to use for much needed improvements at the airport. A Colorado Discretionary Aviation Grant (CDAG) in the amount of $391,000 was awarded by the Colorado Department of Transportation - Aeronautics Division. The grant was accepted by the Board of County Commissioners at its March 15 hearing.
In addition to the approved grant and the airports share, $3.04 million will come from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The outlined projects to get underway in 2011 total $3,590,000.
The largest project is phase two of the Runway 11L Safety Area Enhancement Project. This is a multi-phase project to improve the runway safety area on the approach at the end of runway 11L. This area does not meet the criteria outline for airports certification and needs to be improved. Currently phase one, which is the environmental assessment, is underway. Phase two, which is budgeted at $3.2 million, is expected to begin in late summer of 2011 and includes land acquisition and design. Construction, which is the third and final phase, is slated to commence in 2012. The entire FAA funding will be contributed to this project.
Next on the list is airfield pavement maintenance budgeted at $100,000. Half will be covered from the CDAG and the remaining from the airport's contribution. The terminal ramp is in need of rehabilitation due to the failure of a slurry seal that was applied almost 12 years ago. Four inches of asphalt will be milled and replaced. Also a stress absorbing fabric will be added to reduce deflection cracking at the surface. This is a multi-phased project and the first phase will begin this summer.
The third project is the replacement of the airport's snow removal equipment. Ninety percent or $216,000 will be paid for by the CDAG and $24,000 will come from the airport's budget. Currently the airport uses a 1987 runway broom and will replace it with a 2010 model tow-behind runway broom.
The final project on the list is the implementation of a new airfield lighting control system. The air traffic control tower is anticipated to open this summer and the new system, which utilizes fiber optics, is necessary due to the distance required for communication between the relocated air traffic control tower and the existing electrical vault. The project is expected to begin this spring is $50,000, with only $5,000 from airport funds and the rest coming from the CDAG.
To learn more about the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport visit, http://jeffco.us/airport/.
will no longer support additional loads from remodels in the building necessary to accommodate additional space for the courts, and the Golden Fire Marshall's Office has indicated that it will not approve additional permits for remodeling with the existing fire alarm system. 