MidAmerica Airport road upgrades to cost $1.4 million

A new roadway is planned along MidAmerica Airport taxiways to help reduce the potential for collisions between fuel trucks and airplanes.

The 3,663-foot road project, which was approved by the St. Clair County Board on Monday, is planned in order to connect the general aviation apron to the passenger apron, eliminate routine vehicular traffic from traveling on the taxiway, and reduce the potential for incursions, according to airport documents.

Chairman Mark Kern added the number of flights out of the airport has increased, and the airport has sold 1.2 million gallons of fuel so far this year.

“(The project) keeps fuel trucks off the taxiways and the ramps,” Kern said.

The project was estimated to cost $1.4 million, with $1.2 million planned for construction, and $197,000 planned for design and construction services, airport documents said.

County board members approved awarding the construction portion of the project to Christ Brothers Asphalt of Lebanon, for $1.23 million.

The Federal Aviation Administration is slated to pay for 90 percent of the project; with the state chipping in 5 percent of the costs, and local dollars covering the remaining amount. Money from the project will come out of the county’s capital replacement budget, but will be charged to the airport during the annual audit, said Sue Schmidt, a county financial analyst.

MidAmerica is able to access the federal dollars because it has surpassed 10,000 passenger boardings in a year.

County Board members Frank Heiligenstein, Ed Cockrell, Nick Miller, Mike O’Donnell, Dave Tiedemann and Craig Hubbard voted against the project.

“We’re asked to approve this contract for this improvement, which is over budget,” Heiligenstein said. “Why can’t we have approval of other items or contracts called for in the original resolution? ... Anything over $30,000 should come to us for our stamp of approval.”

In other action

▪  East St. Louis road transfer: The county board approved a jurisdictional transfer of additional roadway to help move Front Street reconstruction forward.

The county originally planned to take jurisdiction of just Front Street as part of the reconstruction project, but needed to take on a part of Missouri Avenue as well.

The project is meant to separate truck traffic from traffic headed to the Casino Queen. The casino also is contributing money toward the project, along with Bungee SCF and Cargill, said Taulby Roach, project coordinator for the St. Clair County Transit District, which is helping with the project.

Federal money and state money also is going toward the estimated $8.1 million project.

▪  Bike Trail work: County board members approved a resolution to allow O’Fallon to construct a bike trail along Shiloh-O’Fallon Road from Route 50 to Frank Scott Parkway East.

This story was originally published August 29, 2016 at 9:12 AM with the headline "MidAmerica Airport road upgrades to cost $1.4 million."