LAWRENCE COUNTY - AUGUST 11, 2022 - The manager for the Virgil Grissom Municipal Airport Jeff Lytton requested the Lawrence County Redevelopment Commission to consider funding Phase II of their runway project.
The request was taken under advisement.
Lytton advised that the Phase II of the project will cost about $2.6 Million with the FAA funding 90 percent of the project, INDOT 5 percent, and local match of 5 percent.
Construction of a parallel runway June 2021 at the Virgil Grissom Municipal Airport in Bedford, Indiana
Phase I - The project included the grading and drainage for the runway. This included moving dirt to create the taxiway, an entrance and three exits.
Phase II - Paving of the taxiways
The purpose of the project is important to prevent runway incursions during the landing and takeoff of airplanes on the same runway.
According to the FAA, a runway incursion is " any occurrence in the airport runway environment involving an aircraft, vehicle, person, object, on the ground that creates a collision hazard, or results in loss of required separation of an aircraft taking off.
There are approximately three runway incursions a day at a towered airport, and the number of unreported incursions at non- towered airports must be much larger. Virgil Grissom Municipal Airport does not have a tower.
There are two runways at the Virgil Grissom Municipal Airport.
Lytton says the Lawrence County Aviation fund does not have enough funds to be able to pay for the remaining five percent which will be $184,075.
The Lawrence County Aviation Board applied for a grant with $2,647,000 to help pave the runway, and parallel runway. The Lawrence County Aviation Board is unsure if the will be awarded the grant at this time.
Virgil Grissom Municipal Airport Stats:
350 Arrivals/Departures
40 Privately Owned Aircraft
Several businesses use the airport such as Rural King, Lehigh Construction Project, Insurance Companies
Revenue Generated from fuel purchases, hangar rentals, aviation mechanic and paint services.
Community resources for local police training, medical helicopter, and military uses the facilities for various purposes
4,500 ft Runway allows all types of aircraft the ability to land/take off
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