VIDEO: Kahului Airport celebrates completion of $17 million apron pavement improvement project

Posted by Wendy Osher

The state Department of Transportation today celebrated the completion of a $17 million Apron Pavement Structural Improvement project at the Kahului Airport on Maui.  A majority of funds totaling $15 million were provided through the Federal Aviation Administration in the form of a grant from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

(VIDEO below of the dedication ceremony for the Kahului Airport Apron Pavement Project.)  [flashvideo file=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNBce7oRUhQ /]

Dedication ceremony for the Kahului Airport Apron Pavement Project. Photo by Wendy Osher.

The project rehabilitated about 900,000 square feet of terminal apron pavement that had originally been constructed in 1986.  The useful life of the pavement was beginning to wear and crack, creating foreign object debris which is detrimental to jet aircraft engines.

Over the past 24 years, air traffic has increased dramatically to 130 daily flights today, resulting in a significant impact on the wear and tear of the terminal apron.

“This is one of the largest improvement projects Kahului Airport has seen in decades and it was made possible because of the grant money we received from the FAA,” said Mike Formby, Deputy Director for the state DOT.

Transportation officials say the improvements increased the capacity and efficiency of operations at Kahului Airport and also helped to create dozens of jobs for the local community. “This project has simulated the local economy by creating more than 50 jobs on the construction site itself, and that doesn’t count the number of jobs this indirectly created,” said Formby.

“This project is another example of the Recovery Act at work,” said Ray LaHood, the U.S. Secretary of Transportation.  “Recovery Act dollars are creating well-paying jobs and helping communities repair and rebuild critical infrastructure,” he said.

The Apron Pavement Structural Improvement Project is part of the State’s 12-year, $2.3 billion Airports Modernization Plan to upgrade airports across the state.  The plan, developed by the Lingle-Aiona Administration in 2006 involves the implementation of projects to improve passenger service, increase security and operational efficiencies, increase the airports’ capacity, and enhance convenience.

*** If you enjoyed this post, you may also like our story on a New Explosive Detection System installed at Kahului Airport.