Columbia Regional Airport continues master plan
Columbia Regional Airport continues its work on runway improvements. The City Council is set to vote Monday on one small part — moving water lines, so Rangeline Road can be moved to make room for a runway.
“Once we get this runway intersection project done, Rangeline realigned, then we can start work — funding permitting,” said Steve Sapp for the city of Columbia.
Work on the intersection of the two runways at Columbia Regional is expected to wrap up by the end of November. Crews will begin work to fix a sight line issue. The FAA said a plane on the main runway must be able to see a plane on the crosswinds runway. Currently, that can’t happen because of building blocking the sight line. So, Columbia Regional is going to move the cross winds runway to improve the sight lines. But first, Rangeline Road has to move to make room for it.
“It’s a good use of money and it’s a good use of our resources because Columbia Regional Airport has a tendency to really help drive some of the economic factors here not only in Columbia but in mid-Missouri,” said Sapp.
The FAA is paying for 90 percent of the $1.7 million project. The city will pick up $170,000, which will come from the transportation sales tax.
“The goal is to be able to add the capacity that we need to be able to supply the air-traveling public in central Missouri the means to use Columbia Regional Airport,” said Sapp.
The Rangeline realignment is expected to be finished by 2016. The airport master plan project also calls for lengthening the main runway by 1,000 feet.
Airport officials also want to improve the terminal. A consulting company is gathering data on the best way to do go about it, which could mean renovating the existing structure or building a new one.
