by Hal Davis
Airport Compliance Manager WisDOT Bureau of Aeronautics
Last year marked another successfully year of improvement projects at Wisconsin airports. In total in 2015, we funded more than 90 different projects at over 50 airports. Projects ranged from automated weather observing system (AWOS) installations, upgraded airfield lighting, fencing, fuel farms, runway reconstructions and rehabilitations, new terminal buildings and more. We hope many of you have already benefited from these projects.
2016 Outlook
With summer upon us, the 2016 construction season is already underway. Most airport construction projects have the potential to impact normal airport activity, so always check NOTAMs before you go flying. Although various factors could delay certain projects until next year, expect airport construction to cause runway closures this summer at the following Wisconsin airports:
• Black River Falls Airport
• Dane County Regional Airport
• Door County Cherryland Airport
• General Mitchell International Airport
• Manitowoc County Airport
• Manitowish Waters Airport
• Menomonie Municipal Airport – Score Field
• Price County Airport
• Portage Municipal Airport
• Rice Lake Regional Airport – Carl’s Field
• Rusk County Airport
• Solon Springs Municipal Airport
• West Bend Municipal Airport
In addition, there are a number of other airport improvement projects occurring, which may affect some airport users. For example, airports with planned taxiway and/or apron projects include:
• Austin Straubel International Airport
• Cumberland Municipal Airport
• Dane County Regional Airport
• General Mitchell International Airport
• John F. Kennedy Memorial Airport
• Lawrence J. Timmerman Field
• Rhinelander/Oneida County Airport
• Sheboygan County Memorial Airport
• Taylor County Airport
• Waupaca Municipal Airport
• Wittman Regional Airport
Space doesn’t allow us to list every single project planned for this year, so be sure to contact your local airport managers to find out if any projects are scheduled at the airports you frequent.
For more information on past and future airport development projects, including the Bureau of Aeronautics’ Five-Year Airport Improvement Program, visit the Wisconsin Bureau of Aeronautics’ web site at
http://wisconsindot.gov/Documents/doing-bus/local-gov/astnce-pgms/aid/airport/air-5yr-plan.pdf or call (608) 266-3351.
