Wednesday, May 2, 2007

Runway rebuilding ?on schedule?

Friedman Memorial Airport closed until May 23

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By PAT MURPHY
Express Staff Writer

A variety of equipment is used Monday to grade the runway surface at Friedman Memorial Airport in Hailey. Photo by Willy Cook

As large dirt-filled trucks and earth-moving machines busily moved back and forth outside his office window, Friedman Memorial Airport Manager Rick Baird declared the reconstruction of the Hailey airport's aging runway "right on schedule."

Friedman is closed for a month, until 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 23, to literally dig up and pulverize most of the old runway for reuse, then spread layers of earthen material, gravel and finally asphalt to replace a runway slowly eroding from moisture.

Costs are being borne by the Federal Aviation Administration.

Baird said that the only slowdown or interruption might be if the weather turns rainy for a few days.

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Since the field was closed on April 24, Baird credited Western Construction, of Boise, the prime contractor, for maintaining a pace that by this week had completed one-fifth of the project.

Most general aviation aircraft based at Friedman have dispersed to other airports in the region, including Carey, Picabo, Gooding, Jerome and Twin Falls.