Itasca County Airport Apron Reconstruction Project

Challenge

Major investments were necessary to advance critical infrastructure improvements at the GPZ including replacing the general aviation apron and pavement.

Solution

Apron reconstruction consisted of removing and replacing approximately 24,000 sq. yd. of existing bituminous and base materials. In addition to paving, surface gradients, storm sewers and drain tile were improved/installed to better manage potential flood events and subsurface water issues. The project included multiple Federal Aviation Administration safety initiatives, including configuring the apron to meet taxiway object free area standards, eliminating direct access to the runway environment, and removing a taxi lane out of the departure surface protected area.

The cost of improvements was more than $1.2 million and included 6,400 tons of bituminous pavement. Ultimately the project improved accessibility to the airport, decreased maintenance costs, reduced foreign object debris and allowed for improved operational safety for based and transient aircraft. The awards  earned recognize projects that have made a significant improvement to airport operations in the areas of improved airport efficiency, safety or facility enhancement.

Awards

• Key General Aviation Airport Project of the Year 2019 | Minnesota Council of Airports
• Key Airport Merit Award for Bituminous Surfacing 2019 | Minnesota Asphalt Paving Association (MAPA) & The Minnesota Association of Asphalt Paving Technologies (MAAPT)