Airport Planning To Extend Drainage System

The Altoona-Blair County Airport Authority is planning a project to extend the airport’s stormwater drainage system into a 48-inch culvert beneath Route 866, a state-owned road. The project is expected to cost about $500,000, with most of the funding coming from the American Rescue Plan Act.

The airport authority convened a special meeting on Thursday after receiving approval from PennDOT to channel the system from a sinkhole located between the airport and Dowrick Drive to the culvert under Curryville Road.

During the meeting, the authority tasked EADS Group with designing the project. Once the design is completed, it must be submitted to PennDOT for approval to obtain a highway occupancy permit, according to Dan Beyer of the EADS Group.

North Woodbury Township must apply for this permit from PennDOT on behalf of the authority before the drainage system can be extended, airport manager Tracy Plessinger stated.

Currently, stormwater drains from a 27-inch pipe under the county-owned Airport Entrance Road into the sinkhole, causing the system to overflow and damage Airport Entrance Road, Plessinger explained.

“If you want to see the road’s condition after a heavy rain, you can check it out now,” Plessinger said during the meeting, noting that nearby roadways were flooding due to heavy rainfall.

The airport authority evaluated three other options for stormwater management, with costs ranging from $700,000 to $1.5 million, but ultimately decided to extend the existing system to minimize expenses.

One alternative was to construct a stormwater management facility on the airport’s property, which, although less expensive than an underground facility, would have occupied airport space, according to officials.

Beyer mentioned that building an underground facility using a stormtech chamber would cost $1.3 million, while using pipes would increase the cost to $1.5 million.

Plessinger noted that the airport’s initial project estimates from a few years ago were between $2 million and $3 million.

The airport was originally going to pay for 75% of the project with capital budget funds, Plessinger said, adding the previous board of commissioners planned to provide a local match of up to $500,000 with ARPA funds.

Blair County Commissioner Dave Kessling said he is going to advocate for giving the ARPA funding to the authority at an upcoming commissioners meeting. If the county awards $500,000 in ARPA funding, the airport’s contribution to the project would be minimal, Plessinger said.

“We appreciate the contribution they’ve made to continually work at this and look at different options,” Kessling said. “That’s all that we could ask for.”

The airport could then use its grant money for other projects, like a “much-needed garage for snow removal equipment,” Plessinger said, adding the airport will receive new equipment this fall.

Beyer said once the design plan is approved and a PennDOT permit is obtained, the project has to be advertised and awarded by the end of the year in order to allocate the ARPA funds.