STATE, FEDERAL FUNDING FOR AIRPORT WORK APPROVED; GETS MORE THAN EXPECTED FOR IMPROVEMENTS OF $3.14 MILLION

The aviation division of the Missouri Highway and Transportation Department this week approved funding for improvements totalling $3.14 million at the Cape Girardeau Municipal Airport.

Public Works Director Doug Leslie said the state and Federal Aviation Administration essentially authorized funding for all the projects proposed by the city.

"It has been basically approved as submitted," Leslie said. "These are rather high-priority projects, and received a good rating or review under this program."

The improvements include:

Completion of the terminal building renovation project, but with the FAA picking up a greater share of the costs, and renovation of the building's parking lot.

20Improvements to the water system to provide fire protection by drawing water to the airport from the city's Nash Road water system.

20Acquisition of an aircraft rescue and firefighting vehicle.

20Rewiring of runway 10/28 at the airport and the erection of new, lighted wind cones.

The vast majority of funding for the projects will come from the FAA, channeled to the city through a state block grant program.

The total improvement program will be funded with $2.8 million in federal funds and $157,000 each from the state and city.

Leslie said Cape Girardeau competed with many other airports in the state for the block grant funds.

"I think, from the state program standpoint, Cape was one of the third largest grants awarded this year," he said. "Definitely, we're very pleased with the results.

"Although we've been working on it for a long time, this package was put together quickly before we presented it to the state folks. The next week, we took it to the FAA in Kansas City, and both agencies really bought into this."

The approved projects will take place over the next two construction season, Leslie said.

But that won't prevent the city from applying for state grant money next year. "We will submit new applications for needed projects in the coming year," Leslie said. "The funding of these will not preclude funding for additional work."

Awarding of the grant puts to rest the fears of some officials who worried that, following a dip two years ago in airline boardings at the airport, the city would be disqualified from an FAA entitlement program that now provides $400,000 annually for airport improvement projects.

About $476,000 of the left over FAA entitlements for Cape Girardeau are being used in the projects for 1993.

Leslie said each of the four projects in the proposal are important for the airport.

The cost of the terminal building renovation previously was to be shared between the city and the FAA, with the city footing the majority of the bill. But under the new proposal, the FAA will increase its share from $428,499 to $615,583, which reduces the city's share from $622,701 to $435,617.

Costs to renovate the terminal building parking lot will be split, with the FAA funding $53,465 and the city only responsible for $9,435.

The FAA also will fund 90 percent of the cost of the $367,680 fire protection water system improvements. The remaining 10 percent will be divided evenly between the city and the state.

Leslie said the water flow at the airport now is insufficient for firefighting, and the improvements are needed for the city to comply with national safety codes.

The aircraft rescue and firefighting equipment is needed to meet federal regulations for airport operations, Leslie said. That equipment will be housed at Fire Station No. 2 on Mount Auburn Road.

"At some point it's governed by the size of aircraft that come in there if you have 30-passenger aircraft you have to have that equipment stationed at the airport.

"But this vehicle will be meeting our needs for quite some time."

The vehicle will cost $225,000, with the FAA paying $202,500 and the city and state paying $11,250 each.

The apron construction is on the south boundary of the airport, where some of the existing pavement is 40 to 50 years old.

"Some of that pavement exists from when the airport was a World War II training site," Leslie said.

He said the pavement is badly deteriorated and will be repaired and the apron widened to allow for more efficient parking. The FAA will pay 90 percent of the $2.4 million cost of the project.

The rewiring of the runway lights is an upgrade of a system that's about 20 years old, Leslie said.

"We've had difficulties with it and reliability problems," he said. "The wind socks will be put at various locations. We need to have those within 2,000 feet of any approach of the runway."

The FAA will pay almost $130,000 for the $144,350 project.