Staff photo/Rhonda Silence Long-range improvements at the Cook County Airport would widen the current runway from 4,200 feet to 5,000.
Grand Marais Cook County Airport Manager Rod Roy updated the county board Tuesday, May 26, 2009 on an expansion project that would significantly improve the airport.
The purpose of the project is to allow fire-fighting planes to land in order to mitigate forest fires. The project will widen the current runway and lengthen it from about 4,200 feet to 5,000 feet in order to accommodate fire bombers.
According to Roy, construction of a parallel taxiway would be required because of the extra plane traffic expected when fire bombers are needed. Planes that are landing could have a hard time seeing 5,000 feet down the runway, so planes that have already landed would need to exit the main runway and taxi to the terminal via the parallel runway. The parallel taxiway will double the cost of the project.
A federal grant requiring a 5% match is funding the expansion. The cost of the project is projected at $12,000,000, resulting in a county match of $600,000. To keep annual costs down, the project may be completed over the course of three years.
“[County commissioners] have not committed the money,” said Roy, “but they have encouraged us to forge ahead.” The project is still in the planning stages. This year’s work will be an environmental analysis.
Having a 5,000-foot runway would allow jets to land at the airport as well, which could bring new types of visitors to the county. “If you build it,” said Roy, “they will come.” The closest 5,000-foot runway is in Ely.
The expanded Cook County facility will be designated by the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) as a “key airport.” Key airports, the highest MnDOT’s three airport designations, have lighted, paved runways at least 5,000 feet long. They can accommodate all single-engine aircraft, larger multiengine aircraft, and most corporate jets. Minnesota currently has 24 key airports.
Commissioner Bob Fenwick said he has heard complaints regarding the current runway’s condition. Money would need to be invested for repairs even without the expansion, he said.
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