Authorities at Bakersfield, California’s Meadows Field Airport broke ground this week on a major rehabilitation program, the largest in the history of the airport. The $49 million project, 90 percent of which will be funded by FAA airport improvement grants, is expected to last three years.
The initial phase, which is expected to conclude in November, will see the removal of 12 taxiways, with only five slated to be replaced. Two additional phases at the international gateway will replace the lighting systems, as well as the reconstruction of the runway shoulders and addition of a crown to the 10,855-foot main runway to improve rain runoff, as specified by the latest runway-design requirements. According to Kern County, the improvements will benefit Meadows Field, which has been in operation since 1926, for another 40 years.
"This three-year project will make our airfield more efficient and bring the runway in line with the latest safety standards," said airport director Richard Strickland. “This work will add jobs to our community, and the construction process will have no impact on the traveling public.”