A project that will create a long awaited back-taxiway for runway 5/23 at Western Nebraska Regional Airport is now a step closer to becoming a reality.
All paperwork, including agency agreements and resolution have been signed, putting the wheels in motion to create what will eventually be an extension of existing taxiway “Echo”.
Airport Director Raul Aguallo told KNEB News because the airport’s designated “critical aircraft” is the CRJ200, they only qualified for a 35 foot taxiway with the allocated Federal funding.
However, he says Senator Deb Fischer was able to secure an additional $3.5 million dollars in earmarked Congressional funding that will allow them to add 20 feet on either side of the 35 to create a full 75 foot taxiway, which is what they originally had hoped for.
He says that runway is currently restricted to 80,000 pounds without the taxiway, because heavier aircraft, when making a U-turn at the end, have to lock the wheels on one side, which causes damage to the runway mat. He says having the back-taxiway for 5/23 will allow them to greatly expand the number of diversion flights the airport receives, which generate a large amount of revenue for the airport.
Aguallo said he was surprised that the new proposal was quickly approved by the Feds as he anticipated a long battle to get that done.
Once the engineering agreement is worked out and completed, Aguallo says they are hoping to go to bid as early as the first of the year or early next year.
