FAA funds Red Oak taxiway

RED OAK, Iowa — Taking to the air is about to get easier at the Red Oak Municipal Airport. Construction is nearly complete for a taxiway parallel to an existing taxiway.

“The west end is complete and open,” said Gail Ernst, airport manager.

Work on the east end of the new taxiway is expected to be complete this week, conditions permitting.

The taxiway is constructed in two-lane segments. The southern portion on the east end was laid out last week, and the north portion should be laid this week. Then, two radii will be installed, and the slopes on each side of the taxiway will be completed.

“We’ll seed the slopes in the spring,” Ernst said.

The taxiway project is at the top of the airport’s five-year plan. The airport has a north-south runway, which will be resurfaced in the future, and a turf strip for antique planes. The new taxiway is necessary, Ernst explained, because pilots must back planes down the runway. Between June and August, Red Oak receives 40 to 50 flights, but Ernst said there are also four or five companies with spray planes, so a backing airplane may cause traffic jams.

The Federal Aviation Administration will cover 95 percent of the project’s cost; the City of Red Oak will provide the final 5 percent funding.

Red Oak City Administrator Brad Wright said the project was broken into different segments. The longest part of the parallel taxiway runs along the east-west runway and then crosses over to run along the north-south runway.

Other projects on Red Oak’s list include an upgrade to the fuel system in the spring.

« Metro/Region

Share