Two inches of new asphalt will help airport runways

A repaving job at Rowan County Airport is making for smoother operations.

APAC-Carolina Inc. is completing the final work on a nearly $700,000 overlay project at the airport.

County officials are also looking at plans to build more hangars for individual and corporate customers.

Star Aircraft of Raleigh, recently took control of Salisbury Air Service, which operates the airport under a lease with the county.

The paving project required closing the airport for a week at one stretch.

The project involved putting two inches of asphalt over the existing 5,800 square foot runway.

County officials say its the first wholesale repaving of the airport in nearly 20 years.

During the project, engineers discovered excessive cracking and sought assistance from the N.C. Department of Transportation.

The state highway experts recommended a new style fiber to be placed under the payment.

County Manager Tim Russell said the underlayment acts similar to a weed guard used by homeowners. It prevents weeds from growing through the paving and causing cracks.

Russell said the underlayment technique is relative new. According to the state officials, it has been used on a half dozen airports around the state.

The Rowan County Board of Commissioners approved a $91,000 change order in the paving contract to cover the cost of the underlayment.

The cost to the county will be minimal.

Under the federal and state airport funding plans, 90 percent of the cost of the project comes from federal dollars.

Russell suggested that the decision to add the underlay was a no-brainer. By doing it now the federal government will pay 90 percent.

Russell said that without the overlay, the runway would begin cracking and need repair within four or five years.

On repair work, the county has to pay 50 percent of the cost.

Finish work on the project was completed this past week. The airport was closed for one day to redo some small sections.

Crews striped the runway at night to avoid interfering with airport traffic.

Russell told commissioners that interest continues to be keen in hangars. He cited recent contact by a company interested in putting a corporate hanger at the airport.

The company has applied to the Federal Aviation Administration to be a certified repair station, saying that could have a dramatic impact on the volume of planes coming to the airport.

Contact Jessie Burchette at 704-797-4254 or jburchette@salisburypost.com .