Sedona AZ (August 23, 2014) – The Sedona-Oak Creek Airport Authority has notified all businesses at Sedona Airport that beginning the week of August 18th, numerous construction projects are scheduled to commence. According to Rod Propst, general manager, these projects will continue for the next three months and include a full repaving of Airport Road as well of several construction projects on the Airport Mesa.
The Airport Authority expects the Airport Road project to cause delays and backups of visitors coming and going to the airport since the road will be limited to one lane of traffic at times during some of the construction process.
The City of Sedona project to rebuild and repave Airport Road starts on August 18. The road is decades old and is in much need of modernization and repair. Yavapai County is participating in this project by providing $350,000 toward the total cost. The project will run concurrently with the reconstruction of the aircraft parking ramp. The re-paving will start at the bottom of the hill before the “airport vortex” and run all the way up the hill past the airport overlook to the four way stop. This project also includes rebuilding the airport vortex parking area and installation of a crosswalk to the start of the Airport Loop hiking trail. A new crosswalk will also be installed at the overlook which can see as many as 300 vehicles and 500 visitors a day.
The Airport Authority is recommending bus tours be rerouted away from the airport to avoid challenges in transversing the hill on a one lane road.
On the airport side of projects, Banicki Construction Company of Tempe, Arizona will start the reconstruction of nearly 35,000 yards (over 7 acres) of an asphalt aircraft parking ramp surrounding the Terminal Building at the airport. This project adds no additional aircraft parking capacity to the airport, it only repairs 30 year old asphalt that has deteriorated. Once the project is completed the new asphalt aircraft parking ramp will be serviceable for at least 20 years.
The project is estimated to take 90 days to complete at a cost of $2,300,000. The funding for this project comes from the federal Aviation Trust Fund (91%), the State of Arizona Aviation Fund (4.5%), and local funds from the Sedona-Oak Creek Airport Authority (4.5%). All of these funding sources are “user fee based” and no General Treasury dollars or General Fund tax dollars are being used for this project.
Planning for this project began several years ago, when Yavapai County added this project to the annual Aviation Capital Improvement Program (ACIP), to ultimately obtain grants from both the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT).
In addition to the aircraft parking ramp reconstruction, the Sedona Airport expects additional funding to be allocated by ADOT for limited taxilane reconstruction and infield drainage improvements. These projects are anticipated to be completed this year prior to the end of the three month construction season.
The Airport Authority has reluctantly canceled the 2014 Airport Day celebration traditionally held on the third Saturday in September because of conflicts with these upcoming construction projects at the airport. Airport Day, which is also called Sedona Airport’s Family Fun Day is a public event hosted by the airport where the Sedona Car Club displays classic autos from around the state and pilots fly to Sedona to display their unique aircraft for public viewing. The event is normally staged on the “tarmac,” the large expanse of blacktop in front of the airport’s terminal building.
“The construction conflicts are unfortunate since this event has grown to be one of the premier community gatherings of the year for Sedona and the Verde Valley,” Propst said. He also said that the Sedona Winefest would continue as planned on September 27 and 28.