Port eyes project at Air Center

The Port of Whitman is taking the next step in improving roads and the drainage system at the Port of Whitman Air Center.

The Flightline Drive Realignment/Drainage Improvement Project would include paving existing airport access roads and installing a new drainage infrastructure, said Debbie Snell, Port of Whitman properties and development manager.

This project has been approved by the Federal Aviation Administration. Snell said based on estimates from engineers, the total project is expected to cost in the $550,000 range.

The port is in the process of applying for grants to fund the project, and they should know what grants are awarded within a month.

Other parts of the project include grading and cleaning existing ditches to help prevent flooding, Snell said.

She added the main purpose of the project is to realign the roads to better separate cars and airplanes.

“This is the first step in transportation improvement out there,” Snell said.

The first airplane hangers at the airport were built in the 1940s, so the ground became built up over time and that created a flooding problem.

Snell said construction could finish by the end of the summer or early fall.