Skip to content

Municipalities move forward on airport overhaul

The Westlock Municipal Airport will see just over $400,000 worth of repairs to its crumbling runway.
The Westlock Municipal Airport is set to receive $420,000 worth of repairs. The town and county have each allocated $110,000 to the project, while the remainder will come
The Westlock Municipal Airport is set to receive $420,000 worth of repairs. The town and county have each allocated $110,000 to the project, while the remainder will come from an airport reserve.

The Westlock Municipal Airport will see just over $400,000 worth of repairs to its crumbling runway.

The $420,000 project will fix runway cracks and damage and fund preliminary engineering for repairs to the taxiway, drainage and remaining runway work.

At their June 27 meeting, Town of Westlock councillors approved $110,000 for the repairs with the funds coming from the town’s Municipal Sustainability Initiative grant. A day later, June 28, Westlock County matched the town’s contribution with funds from a contingency reserve.

The remaining $200,000 will come from the airport tax reserve, which is a jointly managed account funded by the two municipalities and from lot sales at the airport.

Former Westlock County CAO Duane Coleman said the repairs would help clear up liability issues.

“This is just one small piece of the puzzle at the airport,” Coleman acknowledged.

“There is significant work that needs to be done. From our standpoint this is one of the most serious liability issues.”

“It’s long overdue,” said town Coun. John Shoemaker.

A letter from WSP Consulting to Westlock County outlines projected expenses and structural problems at the airport.

A visual inspection on the facility’s 3,400 foot runway details 24 transverse cracks, 75 per cent of which appear severe enough to require repair.

The letter also reports that 25 per cent of the seams lining the runway’s five pavement mats should be considered for repair. An area immediately to the north-west of taxiway ‘B’ shows signs of failure across its entire surface from poor subgrade.

The letter lists an ‘A’ level estimate of $325,000 for repairs to the runway, with an additional $19,992 for engineering estimates, all of which will be covered by the $420,000.

“This is very speculative. It’s basically a class ‘D’ [estimate] and we’re hoping that’s the high end of it,” Town of Westlock CAO Dean Krause said of the preliminary estimates.

Though the current project covers repairs to the airport’s runway, WSP’s letter also outlines necessary repairs to taxiway ‘A’ and ‘B,’ in the amount of $495,000, bringing total repair estimates for the airport to $820,000 including the taxiway and drainage.

The letter indicates that two segments of the taxiway are in poor conditions causing serious safety concerns for aircraft when taxiing.

“Taxiway ‘A’ and ‘B’ would both require complete reconstruction of the structure to accommodate new base and paving,” the letter states.

“Drainage work along the taxiway is required to improve the ditch profile with an excavator and all approach culverts would require replacement.”

Coleman explained that the airport is a valuable asset for the region and that the repairs are necessary to maintain safe operation.

“What you have is an asset out there. By not investing in it, you lose the value, you depreciate the asset, which could be an important part of the economic development strategy for the whole region,” Coleman said.

“We have an obligation as a municipality, as does the town, to continue investing and ensuring it’s a safe place for people to recreate, do business, that they know that the assets out there, the runway, the taxiway, the fuel systems, all the facilities there are safe, operable and cared for.”

Reeve Bud Massey said the repairs were a move in the right direction and that he was pleased with cooperation between the two municipalities.

“We’re going to wait until administration brings a recommendation,” Massey said.

“It’s nice to see our two municipalities working together.”

push icon
Be the first to read breaking stories. Enable push notifications on your device. Disable anytime.
No thanks