Runway renewal project underway, at Beatrice Municipal Airport
Improvements are being made to a crucial part of a southeast Nebraska town.
By News Channel NebraskaBEATRICE, Neb. - Improvements are being made to a crucial part of a southeast Nebraska town.
The Beatrice Municipal Airport is in the midst of a months-long construction project, improving the taxi way and apron, while also adding a new fuel tank. Airport Manager Denis Schmidt says the timing for the project was selected by the FAA and came down to safety.
“Trying to keep accidental aircraft and people traffic chisels off the runway… They wanted turns that didn’t have a straight shot to the apron,” Schmidt said. “That was the decision to remove taxiway Charlie and add a bravo a little way down.”
Construction began in early May and plans are for it to be finished in November. Construction is being done by Vogts Praga LLC and is being paid 90% through grants and 10% by the city.
Schmidt says the construction has changed a few things for flights.
“It’s changed the traffic a little bit,” Schmidt said. “We had to close the main runway in phase number one, just got that opened up July 3, so our main runway is open, but the cross runway is closed.”
The main goal of the project is to make the airport more efficient and safe and Schmidt isn’t understating the projects importance - or how crucial a well-operating airport is to a city the size of Beatrice.
“It’s very nice,” Schmidt said. “Businesses around here use it and some businesses won’t come to a town if they don’t have access by air… An airport is kind off the off ramp for Beatrice to the sky.