Colfax airport runway re-opens for day use

The latest in a series of projects at the Port of Whitman County Business Air Center (POWBAC) has been completed.

Port Properties and Development Manager Debbie Snell said the project to even out and expand the runway was completed Oct. 15 and the airport re-opened for day use Friday after being closed for construction since the end of July.

A few items remain to be completed before the airport will open for round the clock operations.

“The equipment has not yet been received for the electrical for the runway lights,” Snell said.

That equipment is expected to arrive soon. Snell estimated the airport to completely re-open by the end of the month.

In addition to the runway lighting, painting of strips on the runway remains to be completed. Temporary striping was placed first, and permanent striping will be placed before the end of the month.

Hydroseeding is also on the list to complete before the project is officially deemed finished.

Snell said the airport will close again temporarily next week to complete the additional work.

“It will close again for two days on October 27 and 28 to complete the paint and the hydroseed,” Snell said. “The big X's will go up again.”

Snell said equipment will again be on the runway at that time, making it unsuitable for use. She said she is looking forward to seeing the results of the hydroseeding.

“By next spring, it will look extremely good because of all the grass,” she said.

Snell reported that pilots are happy with the construction work.

“The users are a lot more comfortable with the design,” she said.

The project hit some snags along the way, temporarily causing delays. One of the delays was grading at the east end that resulted in a tile line being hit and water surfacing around the project. The water needed to be drained in order for the runway to be completed.

“If it doesn't drain effectively, the $1.8 million you just spent was wasted,” Snell said.

Even with the drain field issue and the extra days on the project, Snell said it came in on budget.

“We did not go over budget,” she said. “We will come in right at or under the $1.8 million. We were happy about that.”

Snell said the Port will continue to monitor the work over the next couple of weeks. She added that the Port commissioners will tour the airport to see the upgrades at their next meeting, scheduled for Nov. 5 at 10 a.m. Port meetings are open to the public.

Snell said this project was the last in a series of upgrades at the airport.

“This is the end of the huge multi-million projects out there,” she said.

The Port of Whitman County acquired the airport in 2004 and went to work to improve it and make it more attractive for businesses and pilots.

Snell said in that time, the Port has built 11 new hangers, four private and seven public, and completed taxiway reconstruction in 2007, apron expansion and tie down construction in 2012-13, the runway redesign work in 2014 and now the construction on the runway redesign.

“Since 2004, the Port, FAA and WSDOT have invested almost $4 million in improvements,” she said. “And there have also been private investments.”

Snell said the Port plans for additional, smaller projects in the future, including additional internal roadways, a possible aviation fuel card lock system and a vehicle access control measure.

“It is still a small, quiet airport, but that is fine,” Snell said. “We are very happy with the construction.”