Board raises concerns about airport runways
Staff writer
Cracks on Marion Municipal Airport’s runways have become a safety concern, an airport board member told city council members Tuesday.
Mitch Guetterman said a plane lost its tail wheel, and another blew out a tire.
Cracks range from 1 to 2 inches to 6 to 9 inches wide, he said. He estimated that 20 to 30 cracks are “sizable,” and another 100 cracks are small. Some also are deep, he said.
“The worst ones are on the end where the planes are coming down,” Guetterman said.
He asked the council whether city workers could handle repairs or whether the airport board should look to an outside contractor.
Darin Neufeld, an engineer with EBH, said the city might be able to do the work but would need a piece of equipment it doesn’t have.
If the city put the project out to bid, it could cost $80,000 to $100,000, Neufeld said.
A cold patch repair would be a two- to five-year solution, and a hot mix repair would be a five- to 10-year solution, Neufeld said.
Mayor David Mayfield asked city administrator Brogan Jones to come up with a plan. The city budgets $150,000 every year for street repairs, Mayfield said. Of this year’s budget, $28,000 remains. Mayfield said it might be possible to use that money.
Neufeld suggested that the city ask Kansas Department of Transportation’s aviation division for help paying for repairs.