Published in Midwest Flyer – February/March 2018 issue
US-based engineering company, HDR, has been selected by the South Central Regional Airport Agency, to plan and design a 581-acre regional airport in Iowa, between Oskaloosa and Pella. The new airport will replace the municipal airports in these cities.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has completed its review for the first phase of the project that involves an investment of $30 million. HDR will be responsible for real-estate acquisition, master planning, environmental documentation, the geographic information system, and geotechnical engineering, as well as FAA liaison services. The contract scope also includes financial support and public outreach. The design of the terminal, runways, hangars and other utilities is included.
HDR project manager Jerald Searle said, “The new airport is needed for local and itinerant corporate aircraft. The existing airport environs are such that neither airport can be expanded to accommodate aeronautical demand safely and efficiently.”
The airport will feature a 6,700-ft primary runway, appropriate for category B and C aircraft operations. Instrument approach procedures will be developed with the desired approach minimums as low as one-half mile visibility and a decision height of 200 feet. Airside features will include a full parallel taxiway system, crosswind runway, terminal building, an aircraft-parking apron, and aviation services, such as fueling, aircraft maintenance, and hangars.
Design and construction of the new airport will commence once the land has been acquired.
