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Despite two hurricanes making landfall in a month, most airport projects in the state continue unabated. Runways are being expanded, new terminals built and existing terminals expanded to meet changing customer needs.
The number and size of airport projects statewide have remained fairly steady, despite disruptions from hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
"We're at a very good pace," said J. Phil Jones, deputy director of the Louisiana Dept. of Transportation's Aviation Division. "We're pretty well on track."
There are currently about 300 airport construction projects ongoing ranging from fence and gate replacement or repair to new buildings and runway extensions, Jones said. Projects are spread evenly throughout the state, with no region seeing the bulk of new construction.
The process of funding airport construction begins around the first part of November.
"We receive a list (of needed construction) from all airports in the state," Jones said. "We spend a few months working with the FAA and individual airports to prioritize that list and we assign each project a point value, then rank them all in order of importance."
The final list, consisting of 60-70 projects, is submitted to Congress by late February or early March and funding is awarded by August or September. The FAA funds 95 percent of all airport projects, with the state responsible for the remainder, Jones added.
The new federal transportation bill, signed in August, has not significantly affected airport construction, Jones said. There were no airport projects earmarked in the bill; rather, the bill simply continued or renewed current FAA funding.
"Though sometimes special projects will be earmarked in such a bill, it doesn't happen often," he said. "It has to be justified. It has to fit into the airport's long-range plans and fit into the scheme of projects."
Though some projects have of course been delayed by hurricanes Katrina and Rita, there is no indication that any of them have been discontinued permanently. Damage from Rita is still being assessed.
"We're working daily with the FAA and FEMA to assess damage, and budget and prioritize repair projects," Jones said. Damage from Hurricane Katrina was minimal, he said.
"Overall, we had minimal damage, compared to what some of us feared."
"About a dozen airports saw damage from Katrina, some as minimal as damaged hangar doors, or minor damage to tower and lighting systems. All airports are currently up and running to some degree."
Jones said he expects an increase in emergency funding for repair and cleanup, but outside of hurricane relief funding, "everything remains pretty steady."
Alexandria International Airport. Construction began in May 2004 on a $24 million project to build a new passenger terminal and control tower for the Alexandria International Airport. Work is 65 percent complete and the new facility is expected to open in May.
Primary contractor is Ratcliff Construction of Alexandria.
The new terminal, built on roughly 1,081 pilings 8 in. in diameter and 50 ft. in length, will consist of three floors, said project manager Greg Corbitt. The first floor, which will be 53,199 sq. ft., will house the arrival hall, luggage pickup area, baggage claim area and ticketing hall with eight ticket stations.
The second floor, measuring 34,607 sq. ft., will house the separation and concourse area, as well as restrooms, offices and an 80-ft. by 100-ft. holding room for use as a waiting area for passengers. The 7,642-sq.-ft. third floor will house a conference center and a storage area. The terminal will also have a 23,120-sq.-ft. covered entry.
The exterior of the terminal will be steel and glass with brick veneer, Corbitt added. Steel is being fabricated by Steel Fabricators of Monroe.
The control tower will be integrated with the terminal and located in the center of the building. Ten floors high, the tower will be constructed of steel and glass. Steel work is being handled by Steel Fabricators of Monroe.
Fiberoptic cable for electrical telecommunication is being routed underground for the facility, said Tommy Breaux of Breaux Electrical of New Iberia, electrical subcontractor for the project. The main power plant will feed several subdividers which are then fed from the main switch gear and routed through 15 to 20 wiring panels.
Lafayette Regional Airport. Several projects are ongoing at the Lafayette Regional Airport, including a runway extension project, installation of passenger jet bridges, construction of a new taxiway and construction of a fire and emergency building.
Two hundred feet have been added to runway 11/19 to compensate for soil erosion and substructure compaction, said Kathryn Tapp, capital improvements administrator for the airport. The sand underneath the existing structure has been replaced with fill dirt, Tapp said. The runway has been extended by 200 ft., bringing the total runway length to 5,400 ft., said Adam Thibodeaux, project manager with Dominque, Zarbo. The extension is overlaid with asphalt.
A $1.4 million project to install two jet bridges is nearing completion, Tapp said. An existing stairwell leading from the terminal building was moved to accommodate the new bridges and a 7-ft. opening was created in the terminal building for access to the bridge. The new bridge is a 141-ft.-long, apron-driven, three-stage extended jet bridge.
A $600,000 project to modify the terminal building's interior have been completed by Roy Stokes Contractors of Lafayette. New carpeting has been added and the half-wall separating the restaurant area has been removed, which has not only made the area more visible to travelers but has resulted in more seating space.
A $2.1 million contract has just been awarded to H & S Construction of Lafayette for a multi-year project to straighten and relight Taxiway Bravo at the airport and to relocate the 1,500-ft. perimeter road surrounding it. The grade for the new taxiway will be 15 ft. higher than that of the existing taxiway, Thibodeaux said. Borrow material and fill dirt were used to raise the grade.
Dirt work has just begun for the 10,800-sq.-ft. fire and emergency building. The $2.4 million project is being handled by Philip Mayo Construction of Leesville.
The brick structure will house three vehicle bays, storage area for equipment and gear, dormitory and living quarters, office space and training areas. Thibodeaux said interior walls will be constructed of concrete masonry blocks.
Houma Airport. A $9.5 million project to strengthen runway 18/36 will be completed by mid-November, said Airport Director Earl Hicks. The project will involve the complete reconstruction of the runway and will result in a 6,500-ft. by 150-ft. runway capable of handling aircraft weighing up to 15,000 pounds.
The existing runway was limited to planes weighing 70,000 pounds or less. Up to 60,000 cu. yds. of concrete were removed for the project, as well as 20,000 cu. yds. of fill dirt, Hick said.
The runway will be topped with 13 in. of concrete.
Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport. The Baton Rouge airport is continuing to undertake major projects in the overall operation of the airport. Commencing in 1996 to the present, $206 million has been secured for new construction to make airport improvements.
There have been numerous projects completed and several project on the horizon for 2005-2006.
"It is my responsibility to see that the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport is on the cutting edge with technology, state-of-the-art infrastructure and safety for the airlines that serve our community," said airport Director Anthony Marino.
Following are some of the larger project under way:
* Runway 4L/22R Lighting Rehab, which calls for the rehabilitation and repair to selected existing taxiway lighting. Cost: $1.1 million. Contractor: Breaux Contractors.
* Runway 4L Safety Area, Projects 1 & 2, which encloses the canals at the end of Runway 4L and relocates the perimeter road outside the runway safety area. Total cost: $8.6 million. Contractor: Circle Inc. of Belle Chasse.
* Runway 4L Extension, which extends the runway by 600 ft. to support additional operations and long-haul aircraft. Cost: $4.2 million.
* Parking Garage, Phase 2, includes construction of a new addition to the existing precast concrete parking garage and expanding existing car rental building. Cost: $6.5 million. Contractor: Arkel Constructors Inc. of Baton Rouge.
* Security Checkpoint Modifications, including increased office space, additional meeting facilities, public waiting area and improvements to pre-security area. Cost: $3.3 million.
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