Latest news with #MorgantownMunicipalAirport
Dominion Post
4 days ago
- Business
- Dominion Post
City looking at Chestnut, Spruce for 'streetscape' improvements
MORGANTOWN — High Street received a streetscape makeover in 2013. Pleasant Street got spruced up in 2023. Walnut Street – at least a block of it – will, presumably, have a new look to show off at some point this year. So, what's next? Based on the Department of Transportation TAP (Transportation Alternatives Program) Grant applications approved this week by Morgantown City Council, likely Chestnut Street, then Spruce. In October, the city learned it was the recipient of a $180,000 TAP Grant to design pedestrian improvements for Chestnut Street. Now, the city is going back to the well, seeking $1.55 million to construct at least a portion of the project. If awarded, the city would be required to provide a 20% match, totalling $310,000. The street runs roughly 2,100 feet between Foundry and Willey streets. It's one of five streets that make up the one-way grid in the city's downtown. While the city concedes the work will likely need to be approached in phases, the ultimate goal is to address the entirety of Chestnut Street with new sidewalks/ADA infrastructure, lighting and appropriate landscaping. According to information provided in council's latest agenda packet, 'The project will also consider the addition of adding road markings or sharrows on Chestnut Street, which will enable cars and bicycles to share the street.' Moving up a couple blocks, the city is once again seeking assistance kicking off a revisioning of Spruce Street — this time in the form of a $450,000 TAP Grant. The city notes, 'The design concept will include all new sidewalks, improvement for ADA infrastructure, new lighting, and appropriate landscaping as well. The city will conduct research on an optimal streetscape plan for the possibility of converting one of the lanes for strict bicycle usage.' Like all TAP Grants, the city would be on the hook for a 20% local match, totaling $90,000, if awarded. Assistant City Manager Emily Muzzarelli previously said that once streetscape enhancements on Pleasant, Walnut and Chestnut streets were complete, it would likely be time to circle back to High Street once again. Lastly, the city is continuing to push for pedestrian enhancements serving the Morgantown Municipal Airport, requesting a $380,000 TAP Grant to design the Morgantown Municipal Airport Bike Path and Walking Trail Connector — a five-foot-wide pedestrian and bike path from the Sabraton Baptist Church on Sabraton Avenue to the West Virginia Land Trust walking trails off Hartman Run Road. That, in turn, would make way for a future connection to Hart Field Road. If fully awarded, the grant would require a $76,000 match.
Dominion Post
08-07-2025
- Business
- Dominion Post
Morgantown Airport receives FAA grant for planning effort
MORGANTOWN — The Federal Aviation Administration has asked the Morgantown Municipal Airport to undertake a planning process that will consider additional safety components needed at the north end of the airport's runway. During the most-recent meeting of Morgantown City Council, the body approved a grant agreement with the FAA through which a $20,925 local match will leverage $397,564 in federal assistance for an Airport Layout Plan update expected to take between six and nine months to complete. 'What this will encompass is a look at a safety change to the runway. They want us to look at a few different options that we can do at the north end of the airport by Easton Hill,' Airport Director Jon Vrabel said. 'Right now, we only have a 200-foot safety area at the end of the runway. Traditionally, airports have 1,000 feet — which is what we have at the south end.' Vrabel said the enhanced safety zone has become necessary for multiple reasons. One, the jet aircraft operated by SkyWest, the airport's new essential air service carrier, is larger and more powerful than the propeller-driven aircraft operated by previous carriers. Two, the size of the aircraft the airport can accommodate will increase once the ongoing runway extension project is completed in the next three to five years. Vrabel said the safety zone options will largely come down to physically building out and extending the safety zone or, more likely, the installation of an engineered arresting system similar in principle to a runaway truck ramp along the interstate. Once consensus is reached on the best route forward, he said the feds will fund the work as a component of the 1,001-foot runway extension. 'The FAA will sponsor that. It'll become a safety project and our funding will go to their highest level of contribution. That being said, that's one of the reasons it's being asked for us to do it, so that it'll help with the funding of the runway extension as well, because they'll tie the two together and make it all a safety enhancement instead of a capacity enhancement.' According to Vrabel, the updated layout plan will also incorporate the additional 105 acres added to the airport property footprint in 2023 as well as new hangars – one completed last year, one currently under construction – and some additional locations where commercial and/or aviation development is anticipated.
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bids opened for next phase of runway extension project
Apr. 17—MORGANTOWN — The years-long project to extend the Morgantown Municipal Airport's runway by 1, 001 feet continues to roll forward. On Tuesday, Morgantown City Council approved the placement of just over $10.1 million in state and federal grant dollars into the city's Airport Improvement Fund for phase four of the project. That work, awarded to Cast & Baker out of Canonsburg, Pa., for $9, 122, 000 in September, is currently underway and includes the culverting of the unnamed tributary that runs into Wolfe Run Creek. On Thursday, bids were opened for the fifth phase of work. The bids included a base project and four alternatives, and ranged from just over $6.7 million to $10.7 million. Phase five will include the installation of a retaining wall and the beginning construction of an embankment. Morgantown Communications Director Brad Riffee said the bid information will be provided to the Federal Aviation Administration, which should tell the city how much funding it will receive for phase five sometime this fall. While planning and investment in the runway extension began more than 15 years ago, actual construction started in March 2021. Since then, just over $29.4 million in federal and local dollars have been awarded. Of that amount, $4 million went into planning and environmental analysis and the rest has gone into construction. All told, the city is currently estimating an overall cost of $62 million and a completion timeline as early as 2028 or as late as 2030 depending on the flow of funding. City and airport officials are hopeful the recent arrival of SkyWest as the airport's new essential air service carrier will boost the airport's enplanement numbers enough to trigger additional federal support. The runway project has long been touted as potentially the most important capital improvement ever undertaken by the city. Based on the number of aircraft operations, the Morgantown Municipal Airport is the busiest airport in West Virginia. Its runway, however, is currently the shortest commercial airport runway in the state. Further, the estimated 4.4 million cubic yards of dirt needed to support the extension is being pulled from the future site of the Monongalia County Development Authority's I-68 Commerce Park, which, on its own, will be among the largest development projects in the city's history.
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- General
- Yahoo
County commission hearing from frustrated trash customers
Jan. 29—MORGANTOWN — Unlike the city of Morgantown, Monongalia County has no real dog in the fight when it comes to trash collection. Whereas the city has an exclusive and enforceable contract with Republic Services, trash collection in the county is the purview of the West Virginia Public Service Commission. Even so, county residents are getting fed up with missed service and asking the county commission for help. "We're receiving numerous complaints about garbage pickup, " Commissioner Tom Bloom said Wednesday. The commissioners shared a couple letters to demonstrate the point. One resident, who lives just outside the city's boundaries, near the Morgantown Municipal Airport, said there hasn't been a trash collector by her home in a month despite area roads being clear. She asked the commission to hold Republic Services accountable, noting her family in Morgantown are receiving service. "The accumulated trash is gross, and if people store these bags in their garages they attract mice and rats, " she wrote. "We need representation to deal with the trash company. We pay our trash bill. Why should trash pile and fall into our streets ?" Another letter, from an Arbogast Lane resident, said garbage in his neck of the woods hasn't been picked up yet in 2025. "Trash is starting to pile up, " he wrote. Bloom later told The Dominion Post that he hears from at least five or six people weekly from different areas of the county — particularly the Cheat Lake area. "Most ask for guidance and help in resolving their problem, " he said, explaining he believes there is a misunderstanding from some that the county works with these businesses. This is a recurring issue this time of year. It was almost exactly one year ago that Monongalia County Litter Control Officer Alex Hall said he was getting inundated with calls about missed trash pickups in the county. Hall suggested reaching out to the trash hauler in question, then making a formal complaint to the WVPSC. The PSC hotline is 800-344-5113. West Virginia Code mandates all individuals have and use trash service or deliver their trash to the transfer station no less than every 30 days. In the meantime, Bloom said he would forward the complaints along to the service provider. In addition to Republic, other haulers operating in Monongalia County include Mountain State Waste and Morgantown Disposal.
