Perry City Council approves task order for parallel taxiway extension; staff outlines brief runway closure

Perry City — The Perry City Council approved a task order on Monday to advance a 1,500-foot parallel taxiway extension at the municipal airport, with staff describing project phasing and short-term operational impacts.

City staff explained the task order covers the next design and bidding steps for the extension and that bidding and construction will be coordinated with a larger 4,000-foot taxiway project. A pre-construction meeting for the larger 4,000-foot work was scheduled, and staff said contractor phasing aims to avoid multi-week pauses in progress.

Staff described a phased sequence in which outer sections of the taxiway would be reconstructed first (phase 1A and 1B), then a new connector taxiway to the terminal would be built so aircraft can use the new routing during broader work. For one phase staff estimated the runway may need to close for profile corrections for roughly a week; that brief shutdown is a tradeoff to avoid a longer runway closure the contractor originally considered.

Why it matters: The taxiway work is intended to improve aircraft access and open development opportunities in the airport’s northwest quadrant. Staff cautioned that timing is contingent on discretionary grant funding and coordination among prime and subcontractors.

Council approved the task order by roll call. Staff said the project’s timeline and whether the larger 4,000-foot project proceeds this year depend on grant awards and contractor phasing decisions.

Next steps: Staff will continue with required grant processes, finalize phasing with contractors, and proceed with bidding and construction scheduling.