JOPLIN, Mo. —
Work is to be done on a runway intersection at Joplin Regional Airport to try to cut down on pilot confusion on where to stop.
The Joplin City Council has authorized a project that will cost $154,942 to paint and install large signs that are intended to make the stops clearer. Steve Stockam, airport manager, told the council this week that the current markings on the runways apparently aren’t clear enough and have resulted in a number of runway “incursions.”
“An incursion is like somebody running a stop sign or light,” Stockam told the Globe after the meeting. “There are certain procedures on the runways. You’re supposed to stop at certain spots. We have pilots who are missing those spots.”
Most of the cost, about $148,000, will be paid by federal grant money and the city will pay about $7,750. The work will be done by Branco Construction as a change order on work the company previously did.
“We have a complex intersection, two runways and a taxiway, that all converge at one point, and it all does get somewhat confusing,” Stockam said. “We want to eliminate any physical barriers that might cause pilot error.”
Some less expensive repairs have been done previously.
“We did a lot of simple things we thought would fix it, and now we’re going to go all out,” Stockam said. There will be new signs, pavement markings and lighting installed at the intersection. Stockam said the construction will be done sometime after the first of September. It will take about six weeks to get the signs made before they can be installed, he said.
The airport also is due for a new master plan. Stockam obtained council approval to accept a grant to pay for the work.
A master plan was last done in 2002 and most of the projects identified in it have been done. They include construction of a new air traffic control tower and terminal building, and expansion for general aviation.
The airport also has seen an increase in passengers as the result of having branded airline service by American Airlines. That air service was obtained under a government subsidy program, Essential Air Service. That subsidy is $2,778,256 a year.
Stockam said the Department of Transportation is about two weeks away from opening bids on the service. It is the intent of airport and airline officials for American to continue its service here offering daily flights to Dallas and perhaps expand by offering flights next year to Chicago.
Stockam said a new master plan needs to be devised to look at how the airport will serve area residents as well as evaluating its structures to identify long-term needs. Those could include a financial plan, an economic impact study, an update on the passenger charge and a plan for pavement maintenance.
Stockam estimated the cost of developing that plan in compliance with federal standards at about $1.1 million. A federal grant is available to pay more than $1 million, leaving the city’s share at less than $75,000.
Passenger numbers
The passenger count at Joplin Regional Airport has climbed to 53,000 a year, up from 10,000 before American Eagle service was brought to Joplin more than a year ago.
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