Warsaw airport looking at options for CR 100E, including construction of a tunnel
By Dan Spalding
News Now Warsaw
WARSAW — The Warsaw Municipal Airport is facing increased scrutiny from the Federal Aviation Administration over what to do about County Road 100 East.
Long-term plans have looked at eventually expanding the east-west runway, but CR 100E literally stands in the way of that idea, and local residents made it clear nearly voiced opposition to closing the road nearly a decade ago.
On top of that, the airport was recently informed by the FAA that the road issue has moved up in its priority status, and considers it a safety risk because of the potential for aircraft slide-offs, said Airport manager Nick King, who brought up the issue Tuesday while speaking with the Kosciusko County Commissioners.
King said an FAA memo makes it clear that if the road is not removed, either by converting it into a tunnel or somehow rerouting it, that the federal government could remove a minimum of 1,000 feet of runway space.
“It could be up to 1,500 feet of physical asphalt, which would make it so that none of our jets would be able to operate out of the airport anymore,” King said. “And that’s something that terrifies me.”
King said the airport has made it clear they oppose closing the road, and he said he thinks there’s growing support to construct a tunnel.
He speculated that the cost of such a project could range from $13 million to $20 million.
The road has become a key north-south arterial roadway in the community, he said.
“That’s where a lot of emergency traffic goes, a lot of school bus traffic, and we do not want to be a hindrance to that at all,” King said.
“That’s why it’s one of the things that we are working very, very hard on, and we just need the public to be aware this is something that is coming, and we all need to work together to try and put the best plan forward,” he said.
A decision on the matter is still years away, but King said there’s a growing sense of urgency from the federal government.
County Commissioner Bob Conley, referencing the past anger about that idea of closing the road, said he appreciated the update and how the airport is looking at different options.
King said expansion of the runway is not among the airports top current priorities.
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