Ribbon cutting marks takeoff for Pullman Airport runway

Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport ended a month-long closure and three-year construction project with a ribbon-cutting event on the new 7,100 foot runway.

The airport was closed for a month to transition to the longer runway equipped with an Instrument Landing System to create a more reliable all-weather airport.

Pilots can now land with an instrument approach which uses radio signals and high-intensity lighting arrays.

Hundreds gathered last Thursday under a large tent located on the former runway to listen to speakers involved in the project. Those in attendance were then ushered out to the new runway where a ribbon was stretched across for everyone present to hold and be a part of the ribbon cutting.

Moscow Mayor Bill Lambert and Pullman Mayor Glenn Johnson were positioned in the middle and cut the ribbon.

Tony Bean, airport director, said now that the runway is complete the airport will go on to build a parallel taxi-way and start designs next year for a new terminal.

"The support and partnership with the consultant team and FAA has been one of the greatest learning experiences I've ever had," Bean said.

Along with the consultant teams and FAA representatives present at the ribbon cutting, were Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers, VP of flight operations for Alaskan Airlines, representatives from WSU and UI, Schweitzer Engineering and other local government and business representatives.

"We were impressed by how federal, state and local communities worked together. Public and private sector entities working together to achieve a project that I thought what could be so complicated," said Elliott Black, director of airport policy from FAA.

According to Kevin Mulcaster, project manager for Mead & Hunt, more than 300 employees worked on the $154 million project.

Avista's Paul Kimmell, a member of the Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport board, said many may have noticed with this project it required mountains to be moved, literally and figuratively.

"We were fortunate enough to have a local contractor, M. A. DeAtley Construction, to provide the expertise and man-power to move millions of cubic yards of Palouse earth," Kimmell said.

Mark DeAtley reported they moved a total of eight million cubic yards of earth.

WSU research facilities, which brought in $90 million since 2016, had to be relocated for this project to be completed said Stacy Pearson, WSU vice president of finance and administration.

Mayor Johnson noted Democrats and Republicans worked together as to demonstrate " that they can get things done. Everybody did work together and got it done."

Mayor Johnson closed with that's what this is all about, working together.