Bradford Regional Airport’s main runway will eventually be
closed to air traffic, as two major projects get under way along a
section of the tarmac.

Officials said Runway 14-32 – which is used for commercial and
civilian air service – will undergo rehabilitation work soon. The
creation of a $1.31 million parallel taxiway connecting the runway
to the airport’s terminal has already begun.

The work should not significantly impact the facility’s
operations or flight schedule, Airport Director Tom Frungillo said
Wednesday during a meeting of the Bradford Regional Airport
Authority.

“We are hoping to do both (projects) at the same time to
minimize any delays even though we don’t foresee any problems,”
Frungillo said.

Officials said there was no timetable set for when the
rehabilitation work will begin and how long the runway would need
to be closed down.

Both projects – mandated by the Federal Aviation Administration
– will be done on the “32” end of Runway 14-32 nearest to Route
59.

The main portion of the taxiway work is being performed by
Cummins Construction Co. of Bradford.

The airport received $950,000 in federal funding last year for
the new taxiway through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s
Airport Improvement Program; some of that funding was also used for
equipment.

The taxiway will be asphalt and measure between 2,000 and 2,500
feet long and 50 feet wide. It will be located on the side of the
runway closest to the old Forest Oil hangar. Officials said earlier
the taxiway will also provide a safety measure and infrastructure
improvement.

Authority engineer Ed Nasuti said the project should be
completed in September.

Meanwhile, bids were accepted until last week for the runway
rehabilitation work.

Nasuti said two bids were received for the project, with the
lowest coming from Cummins at a price tag of $324,818. The other
bid, from Glenn O. Hawbaker, came in at $347,994.

Airport officials had estimated the project would cost about
$319,000.

Officials said the rehabilitation project will get under way
after federal funding through the AIP program is released by
Congress. There was no immediate word on when that might occur.

“If we get the funding, we should be able to do this (project)
this year,” Nasuti said.

According to Frungillo, the project will consist of some
pavement work along one edge of the runway.

“The edge has started to crack from running the (airport’s
service) trucks on that portion of the runway,” Frungillo said.
“That area will be dug out and a new layer of blacktop will be put
on.”

Frungillo said the work will also entail repainting the runway’s
aviation markings in white paint.

“We will have to shut down Runway 14-32 completely and use the
cross-wind runway,” Frungillo said. “That’s why it’s nice to have
two runways. We can still get the traffic in and out of here.”

According to Frungillo, when the runway is eventually closed to
traffic, a nationwide alert will be put out through the Automated
Flight Service Station in Leesburg, Va., which is controlled by the
FAA. The airport uses the facility to provide pilots with weather
briefings and flight planning services.

“The note will say that Runway 14-32 is closed to all air
traffic,” Frungillo said, adding a large red “X” will also be
placed on the runway as a backup warning mechanism for pilots not
to use that landing strip.

Frungillo said officials waited until the summer to do both
projects, in part, because the better weather conditions help
pilots with a visual approach to the airport.

“The ILS (Instrument Landing System) will be off when we are
doing the parallel taxiway,” Frungillo said, adding crews will be
in a critical approach area for planes. “It will lower the approach
minimums for the planes.

“We are hoping to do the work (on both projects) when the ILS is
down.”

This is not the first time that runway has been worked on. In
2005, a runway safety area was created on the “14” end of the
strip; the area cut down the length of the runway from its original
6,500 feet.

Runway 14-32 measures 6,309 feet long.