MORGANTOWN — Morgantown Municipal Airport Director Jonathan Vrabel said Phase II of the Morgantown Municipal Airport runway extension project is done.
Phase III is expected to begin later this year, once grant dollars are received from the Federal Aviation Administration.
“Phase 2 performed land clearing and durable rock excavation for use in Phase 3 construction. Phase 3 will include continuing with the embankment started in Phase 1, along with some stream enclosure work on the east side of the project, which is needed for the embankment to be installed,” Vrabel explained via email.
It was previously explained that more than 4 million cubic yards of earth will need to be moved to support the extension. That dirt will come from the future site of a commerce park.
Mountaineer Infrastructure LLC was the low bidder for the Phase III work, at $2,474,397.
As one of its final acts, the previous iteration of Morgantown City Council approved a $7,367,994.14 budget for the City of Morgantown Airport Improvement Fund for the 2024 fiscal year, which began July 1.
That budget includes just over $1.9 million spread across four FAA grants, $741,325 in carryover and $700,000 from the Monongalia County Development Authority.
More than half the budget — just over $3.9 million — is coming from the city’s capital escrow account.
The city also set aside $1.4 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds for property acquisition tied to this and future airport projects.
City council recently finalized the purchase of 105 acres for $1,572,450 to that end.
“This is primarily for the future development of the airport; the next runway extension after we complete the one we’re working on and some aviation development and commerce around the airport,” Vrabel said at the time. “It’s the future of our airport, helping to grow our community and bringing more business to Morgantown.”
The extension project, which will add 1,001 feet to the airport’s runway, is currently anticipated to cost about $65 million. The timeline will be largely determined on the city’s ability to secure funding.
In other airport news, hopes that jet leasing and fractional ownership company Flexjet could become a major player at the airport appear to be on hold.
Late last year, Vrabel told lawmakers the company was building a hangar at the airport and was exploring plans for a second.
“There is no tenant associated with either hangar. The second hangar will not be built until a tenant has been identified. Flexjet has not decided what its future plans are at this point. The company went through an acquisition of a well-known aircraft maintenance company this year with locations around the country, which has held them back from expanding in Morgantown,” Vrabel said, noting the hangar currently under construction has a tentative tenant looking to get into aircraft servicing.
Lastly, Vrabel said the city is in possession of a draft feasibility study conducted by Michael Baker International to help determine the future of the airport’s 60-year-old terminal building.
He said a review of that report should be complete this summer.
