by Hal Davis
WisDOT Bureau of Aeronautics
Published in Midwest Flyer Magazine April/May 2022 online issue.
Runway 17/35 reconstruction project at Central Wisconsin Airport.
Courtesy of Becher-Hoppe Associates, Inc.
In November 2021, Congress passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law or BIL. Among many other things, BIL includes a $15 billion investment in the nation’s airport infrastructure. No matter where you fly, expect to see lots of new airfield pavement and other airport improvements in the coming years. Here in Wisconsin, early estimates predict that our state will receive an additional $40 million in federal airport funding each of the next five years with opportunities to secure additional funding through funding set aside specifically for airport terminal and air traffic control tower improvements. Combined, Wisconsin airports typically receive around $65 million per year in federal funding, so an additional $40 million is a substantial increase. As you might imagine, both the Wisconsin Bureau of Aeronautics (BOA), and Wisconsin airports, are hard at work preparing for this additional funding with hopes that we might see some BIL-funded projects as soon as this year.
2021 Recap
New terminal at Wittman Regional Airport.
Courtesy of Rob Dieke Photography
Before we look ahead to this year’s construction season, let’s first look back on 2021. In total, the BOA funded projects at 48 airports last year. Included were 31 construction projects, 20 equipment projects, three land projects, two planning projects, and design work for an additional 15 future projects. Notable projects included the completion of phase-one of a multi-year project to decouple the runway intersection at Central Wisconsin Airport. The first phase involved a complete reconstruction of runway 17/35. At Shawano Municipal Airport, runway 12/30 and the terminal apron were rehabilitated, and the associated lighting was replaced. Similarly, a project to rehabilitate runway 14/32 at Kings Land O’Lakes Airport was also completed. The project also included rehabilitation of additional airfield pavements, replacement lighting, and approach clearing.
Several phases of multi-year terminal improvement projects were completed at Rhinelander-Oneida County Airport and Dane County Regional Airport in 2021. In Oshkosh, the new terminal building at Wittman Regional Airport was completed just in time to welcome visitors to EAA AirVenture 2021. Finally, Kenosha Regional Airport completed work on a new U.S. Customs building, allowing the airport to become a “port of entry” for international flights.
2022 Outlook
Even though BIL is not yet in full swing, 2022 is shaping up to be a very busy construction year, nonetheless. Major runway projects are planned at Tri-County Regional Airport, Fond du Lac County Airport, Iowa County Airport, West Bend Municipal Airport, Dodge County Airport, and Boyceville Municipal Airport. Other runway rehabilitation projects are planned at Chippewa Valley Regional Airport, Dane County Regional Airport, Rhinelander-Oneida County Airport, Green Bay-Austin Straubel International Airport, Southern Wisconsin Regional Airport, and Appleton International Airport.
For anyone looking to build a hangar in northern Wisconsin, Manitowish Waters, Lakeland, and Cable Union airports will be completing projects to add new hangar lots this year. Kenosha Regional Airport and Burlington Municipal Airport will be doing the same in southern Wisconsin.
As some readers may know, airports which serve air carrier aircraft are required to provide a certain level of aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) capabilities on the field. This year, Chippewa Valley Regional Airport will be renovating and expanding their ARFF facility to better meet their current and future ARFF needs.
Finally, in order to support and further enhance the Federal Aviation Administration’s Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen), the State Legislature set aside additional funding for NextGen initiatives here in Wisconsin. This upcoming winter, obstruction removal projects at seven airports across the state are expected to begin, which will help to restore and maintain existing instrument flight procedures.
The map accompanied with this article depicts airports with expected runway closures during the 2022 construction season. As always, check Notices to Air Missions (NOTAMs) before your flight to make sure there are no unwelcome surprises. For more information on past and future airport development projects, including the Bureau of Aeronautics’ Five-Year Airport Improvement Program, visit the Wisconsin Department of Transportation website at wisconsindot.gov and type in “airport five-year plan” in the search bar or call (608) 266-3351.
