Now a regionally celebrated achievement, the successful completion of Redmond’s runway reconstruction project is a testament to several years of design coordination and preparation by Airport staff and stakeholders, the City of Redmond, Century West Engineering and Knife River along with their subcontractors.
Roberts Field — Redmond Municipal Airport is Central Oregon’s aviation hub. Serving a regional population of nearly 250,000,the Airport’s four commercial carriers help over 574,000 passengers per year connect to and from locations around the world. Additionally, the airport serves as a major location for wildland firefighting, freight, private charter and general aviation activity. So when the team was faced with closing the entire airport for three weeks, the decision was not made in haste.
The Runway 5-23 Rehabilitation Project is a multi-year, multi-phase, $18 million undertaking to rehabilitate Redmond’s primary runway and bring it into compliance with current Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) design standards. Funded by a combination of FAA and Connect Oregon (Oregon Lottery) dollars, the project was originally conceived as a “grind and overlay” rehabilitation. Similar to the treatment applied to highways, the process would have removed a layer of pavement and replaced it with several inches of new pavement.
Early engineering analysis determined that the shape of the runway, last reconstructed in 1993, no longer met current design standards required by the FAA. These standards change over time, and although the runway was safe, the use of federal funds required that the project follow the latest version of the design guidelines.
The design process began in 2013 with close coordination between Century West Engineering, the FAA, and Airport staff. Because Redmond’s two runways form an “X,” the only feasible option was to close the airport during the construction of the intersection. At the advanced design stage, Century West held constructability reviews with several local contractors experienced in airport construction. The initial assessment concluded that one month of around-the-clock construction would be required to build the intersection but Century West, the Airport, and the contractors were able to reduce the airport closure schedule to 21 days.
Knife River was selected by low bid in March 2015. The project team had over a year to prepare for the airport closure and evaluate time saving measures. Frequent project team meetings ensured that all parties involved kept project quality and schedule at the forefront of decision making.
For their part, Airport staff and the City of Redmond convened regular stakeholder meetings, including coordination with the airlines, nearly two years in advance of the project and airport closure. As a result of these meetings, the City of Redmond’s Airport Closure Task Force was formed. This group provided a forum for affected stakeholders in the business community to understand and discuss the project and its required airport closure.
The Task Force was instrumental in raising awareness of the airport closure and preparing the community for its effects. The City and Airport also leveraged the unusual circumstances of the airport closure to build value from the experience. For example, law enforcement and emergency personnel from around the region were able to use the airport terminal for a large-scale active shooter training event while it was closed.
Additionally, several upgrades and major maintenance projects were completed both within the terminal and around the airport property. The resourcefulness of the City of Redmond, Airport staff and local community turned what might have been seen as a major problem into a significant opportunity.
Construction began in March, a start date designed to provide several months of on-the-ground experience prior to the main event of the airport closure. Great plans need to be tested and two months of construction prior to the closure did just that. Communication lines were well-established and all of the construction materials and methods to be used during the closure were successfully put to the test.
Recognizing the significance of the project, the FAA made Redmond’s schedule a high priority in their reviews and involvement. When the time came for the airport closure to begin, work commenced immediately and did not let up until the schedule allowed. Despite several rain delays, the airport closure work, involving placement of 44,000 tons of rock and pavement, was completed successfully and ahead of schedule and within budget.
For a project that began as a simple repaving effort that might have made one or two nightly news updates, the Redmond Airport’s 2016 Runway Reconstruction project became one of the region’s largest aviation projects in recent decades. The foresight and collaboration among the City, the engineering team, and the contractors resulted in a widely-publicized, well-prepared, and ultimately successful project to ensure the Redmond Airport remains the region’s aviation hub for generations to come.
Tom Headley, PE, CWRE; project manager with Century West Engineering. president, Central Oregon Chapter of the Professional Engineers of Oregon, www.centurywest.com
PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS OF OREGON
Central Oregon engineers of all disciplines have an established organization to help them continue their lifelong learning, to stay current and informed of licensure requirements and to grow their leadership abilities. The Central Oregon Chapter of the Professional Engineers of Oregon is committed to the following mission: “To be actively involved in promoting professional engineering in Central Oregon, to provide an ongoing opportunity for continuing education in the field of professional engineering, to provide awareness and scholarship opportunities to college-bound engineering students from Central Oregon and to promote and provide assistance to engineers to become licensed while promoting fellowship.” The Chapter welcomes all to the monthly meetings. Feel free to contact Tom Headley, PE, with questions at theadley@centurywest.com
