Officials at the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District are crossing their fingers for good weather next week, so they can finally finish the runway expansion project at the Alberni Valley Regional Airport.
The expansion to the runway was supposed to be completed last fall, but torrential rain, heavy snow and a late spring have forced a delay of nearly six months.
“Our plan, weather permitting, is mobilizing the paving crew on Wednesday, spot repairs Thursday (May 4) and start paving the taxiway May 5,” ACRD airport superintendent Mark Fortune said. Runway paving will take place May 8–12.
“If the weather would cooperate, we would be finished by now,” Fortune said.
The ACRD received $364,000 in second-year funding from the BC Air Access program to finish off its runway lighting replacement, which should be finished in May.
The airport received $365,215 from last year’s BC Air Access program as the first half of the runway lighting project.
Raylec Power has the contract for the lighting, which will allow for night operations and increase safety in low visibility conditions. The lighting system also includes precision approach path indicator (PAPI) lights and lights that indicate the end of the runway (REILS system), which will aid in the ACRD’s bid for a published GPS approach at the airport. Such an approach will hopefully attract more commercial aviation business to the Alberni Valley, ACRD officials have said in the past.
A request for proposals for the GPS approach design will close on May 5.
editor@albernivalleynews.com