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Coeur d'Alene Airport reports progress on Taxiway Charlie, plans Taxiway Alpha study and LED lighting grant application
Summary
Airport Director Gaston Patterson updated commissioners on Taxiway Charlie construction, a planned rehabilitation study for Taxiway Alpha, a state grant application to replace runway and taxiway lights with LEDs, and work toward a master plan and runways decoupling.
Airport Director Gaston Patterson told the Kootenai County Board of Commissioners on Feb. 25 that the airport's largest ongoing project, Taxiway Charlie, is progressing and that a study of Taxiway Alpha and a state LED lighting grant are next priorities.
Patterson said the Taxiway Charlie project — which will connect the west ramp to the approach end of Runway 6 and allow south-side aircraft to taxi without crossing the runway — completed substantial dirt work last fall and paused for winter. "That one's moving along. It's been, knock on wood, flawless to this point," he said, and contractors expect to begin utility work in the coming weeks, with asphalt and finish dirt work in June.
Patterson said the airport will initiate a preliminary study of Taxiway Alpha, which fronts businesses and hangars on the east side and shows signs of asphalt failure. The study would inform a future rehabilitation project expected in the next year. He also said a state grant application seeks to replace runway lighting on Runway 2 and taxiway lights with LED fixtures; Patterson said the grant is a zero-match award that would reduce energy costs and maintenance.
He noted the airport office site is to be vacated by 2026 at FAA direction because of geometry and proximity issues and described the upcoming master plan and five-year AIP work as the venue to address runway-decoupling options. Commissioners requested a workshop before the county's budget presentation to view maps and master-plan options; Patterson agreed to schedule one.
Why this matters: The projects affect aircraft movement safety, infrastructure maintenance costs and the airport's master plan. FAA staff told commissioners the agency regards Coeur d'Alene as a well-run facility and has provided significant AIP funding relative to regional peers, Patterson said.
Next steps: Utility and paving work for Taxiway Charlie this spring and a Taxiway Alpha rehabilitation study in the coming year; pursue the LED lighting grant and begin master-plan work to address runway geometry and office relocation by 2026.
