Taos Regional Airport

RUNWAY 12-30 AND PARALLEL TAXIWAY CONSTRUCTION

Our team is providing engineering design and construction administration for the construction of the new 100-foot x 8,600-foot Runway 12-30, Parallel Taxiway B, connecting taxiways and holding bays at this facility. This project was initiated in 2015 and is currently ongoing.

Activities included:

• Design and installation of NAVAIDS, wind cones, REILs, and other runway lighting
• Reconditioning subgrade and performing subgrade rock excavation
• Installation of underdrains along taxiways / runway
• Construction oversight for electrical vault and electrical systems
• Performing pavement maintenance for Runway 4-22
• Application of crack sealant, pavement rejuvenator
• Construction of haul road to provide access to the future terminal

RUNWAY 13/31 CONSTRUCTION

In 2012, the FAA issued a design grant for the development of Runway 13/31 (C-II runway 8,600’ x 100’), full-length parallel taxiway, associated connector taxiways, and new access road.  The design was completed in 2013 at which time the FAA issued the first construction grant.  Over the next three years the grading, drainage, paving, and NAVAIDs were completed. Some unique properties to the project are:

This project required blasting into granite bedrock across much of the site. The bedrock needed to be removed; lowering the surface grade in order to meet FAA design requirements for the paved runway and taxiways with the adjacent unpaved safety areas. Blasting operations required detailed coordination between the Town, neighboring residents, and FAA flight procedures office alerting aircraft of blasting times. Blasting is not common for airport projects as most are located in relatively flat terrain. This project, however, required cuts in the surface grade as deep as 15 feet.

The blasting and subsequent excavation generated nearly 300,000 cubic yards of rock that was crushed to meet project specifications. The contractor set up a crusher and asphalt plant on site for subbase course, base course, and hot mix asphalt. This repurposing of the onsite material saved countless miles hauling to, from, and around the project.

Another unique aspect of this project was tied to the pilots’ approach procedures needed for the new runway. Typically, once a runway is complete, the process for the FAA flight procedure calculations begin. That process, nationwide, usually takes the FAA three to six years to complete. Runway 13/31 was needed for instrument flight use as soon as possible; therefore, the FAA committed to expediting this process. Our team generated a preliminary runway design data file for the FAA to begin the approach procedure building process with the understanding that final as-built data would be uploaded immediately after paving. This synchronization required regular contact between our team, the FAA, and the Town to track various milestones and submittals. The approach procedure was published before the final runway marking paint was dry.