Local airport to carry out runway renovation this fall

PORTAGE TWP. — The Erie-Ottawa International Airport will carry out a major renovation this fall, forcing the airport to shut down its main runway for about 18 days. Plans call for the work to be carried out in mid-September and early October, said Clay Finken, the airport manager. Almost all of the cost will be covered by an approximately $5.5 million Federal Aviation Administration grant recently announced by U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Toledo. There is a 5% local match, although it's not clear yet whether it will be paid by the state or split between the state and local officials. Finken explained that the airport plans to carry out the rehabilitation of its east-west primary runway, Runway 0927, which is a little more than a mile long — 5,646 feet to be exact — 100 feet wide and used by the larger aircraft that operate at the airport. The company that submitted the winning bid for the work, Kokosing Construction, will do what's called a mill and overlay, milling off the top three or four inches of the runway and putting fresh asphalt down on the existing base, Finken said. The last time a similar project was carried out was in 2009, so it's been a while since such major work was done, Finken said. Crack sealing and preventive maintenance are done by the airport, but the runway project is the type of major task that can only be done by using the ongoing Federal Aviation Administration capital improvements program, Finken said. One major effect of the construction plane is that larger planes will have to avoid using the airport for about a couple of weeks. Smaller planes that don't need a big runway, however, will be able to keep taking off and landing on the smaller north-south runway, except for a couple of days when the intersection of the two runways is being worked on. Finken said that when the project gets closer, notices will be sent out on various channels, including email and social media warnings about the temporary closure of the large runway. If anyone doesn't get the news and tries to land on the larger runway, the pilot will see barricades and giant lighted X markers warning him to land somewhere else. Finken said the runway will be the same size when the work is finished and said there has been no sign so far that the airport might need a larger runway. Major airports are within a reasonable driving distance of the Sandusky-Port Clinton airport, and there have been no indications that any commercial airline companies want to offer service locally. The current runway could, in theory, accommodate smaller regional airline aircraft, linking the airport to larger airports, similar to the commercial flights used in other smaller cities. If an airline did approach the airport, "it would certainly be something our board would want to sit down and discuss with them," Finken said. Meanwhile, Griffing Flying Service operates at the airport, providing private air charter service and flying lessons and operating a fleet of 12 aircraft. The Erie-Ottawa International Airport gets anywhere from 30,000 to 50,000 operations a year with an operation defined as a takeoff or a landing. It provides a vital link to nearby Lake Erie islands, particularly when the ferries aren't running, Finken said. A Border Patrol customs building allows the airport to accept international flights, such as those from Canada. The airport, located at 3255 E State Road, Port Clinton, also serves as the home of Liberty Aviation Museum, which displays vintage aircraft, many dating to World War II or earlier.