Hanson provided planning, environmental, design and construction-phase services for the extension of Effingham County Regional Airport’s Runway 11/29 by 899 feet, from 5,103 feet to a total length of 6,002 feet, a change that has opened new opportunities for the community of Effingham in south-central Illinois. In addition to the extension, the project included the removal and replacement of 276 feet of pavement near the Runway 29 end, which provides additional strengthening and repairs. The project also extended Taxiway A 2,200 feet to the runway, which increases capacity.
The upgrades improve safety for aircraft during contaminated runway conditions, such as rain, snow and ice, and reduce operational limitations for larger aircraft. With the updates, the airport can provide improved regional access for additional jet traffic, helping area businesses looking to expand and attracting new companies.
Hanson’s responsibilities included:
- extensive regrading of the site to accommodate the extension
- a roadway relocation
- the construction of aggregate and drainage base courses
- Portland Concrete Cement (PCC) and hot-mix asphalt (HMA) pavements
- drainage improvements
- the relocation of navigational aids
- new edge lighting systems
- runway safety area and runway protection zone improvements
Hanson also provided planning services to update the airport layout plan to current standards; an aeronautical obstruction survey and airspace analysis for the runway extension; and an environmental assessment that included necessary agency coordination and permitting. Because the project increased the length of the runway, Hanson completed an aircraft noise analysis using the Federal Aviation Administration’s Aviation Environmental Design Tool to evaluate the future noise contours. Due to the ground disturbance created by the project, Hanson conducted both a Wetland and Waters of the United States and a Threatened and Endangered Species studies.
