FITCHBURG — The Fitchburg Municipal Airport is in line for an overhaul after the city received a $13.8 million federal grant to rebuild and extend the runway.
The grant, provided for by the Federal Aviation Administration, will help pay for the reconstruction of the runway, including design, engineering, and construction costs.
“We’ve been working on it for a long time and I’m to finally get the ball rolling,” said Airport Manager Scott Ellis.
Ellis said the runway project will rebuild and lengthen the airport’s north-south runway from about 4,500 feet to 5,001 feet.
The storm water runoff infrastructure and lighting system on that runway will also be replaced.
According to Ellis, the runway was originally built in the 1930s and repaved in 1985. The pavement has a roughly 20-year life expectancy, but it’s currently 34 years old, he said.
“This isn’t just laying down some pavement, we are going to fundamentally alter the way the airport looks,” he said.
Ellis said the runway will be a single foot over the length required by several insurance companies that cover corporate jet travel.
Because the runway doesn’t currently meet that threshold, the airport has been losing business to surrounding airports like Nashua Airport and Worcester Regional Airport.
Ellis also said the shorter east-west runway will be removed when the main runway it bisects expands. He said not all of the runway is currently usable because of rising terrain on either side.
Without the second runway, the land could be utilized for development, Ellis said.
“In the area closest to Crawford Street, we’re looking at the possible expansion of the industrial park,” he said.
Ellis said the area on the west side of the airport can’t be used for most developments, but it would be an ideal space for a solar farm. He added that a company has already expressed interest in building at that site.
“By repaving the runway and closing the other one, we are looking at increasing our revenue from more corporate jet traffic, from base aircraft, and land leases for aviation and non aviation use.”
Ellis said the rough start date of construction is August, and the project could wrap up next spring or late fall at the earliest.
The total cost of the project is $15,369,000, but 90 percent is covered by the FAA grant. The remaining cost is partially covered by a Massachusetts Department of Transportation grant.
The local share is $768,450, which was appropriated in the form of a loan during a City Council meeting on Tuesday.
To reach Daniel, email dmonahan@ sentinelandenterprise.com
