SAND SPRINGS, Okla. — The City of Sand Springs announced the Sand Springs Pogue Airport runway is expected to be closed through April 21 as improvements are made to the airport.
The entire project starts April 1 and is expected to take 35 calendar days, weather permitting.
During the project, the runway lights will be replaced with light emitting diode, or LED, lights. The project will also see cracks sealed and sealcoating on 1800 feet of the west taxiway and west parking apron.
During the project, the runway will be closed from April 1 through April 21.
“Our current lighting system for the runway was installed in 1991, and it’s out used it’s useful life, so what we will be doing is replacing it with the energy efficient, less maintenance, light emitting diode runway lights,” said Ken Madison, airport supervisor.
Madison said the led lights are more efficient, save energy and require less maintenance than the previous system. He also said they’re better for operations at night or when it’s cloudy.
“The current lighting system was installed in ’91 whenever we did a lot of the improvements to the runway, as far as widening and lengthening. The typical lifespan of the current system is 15 to 20 years, they're approaching 33 years old. And they require a lot of maintenance, a lot of the bulbs and the affixtures just need to be replaced and they’re not working as well or not even working right now,” Madison said.
The entire cost of the project is just over $1 million dollars.
Madison said most of the funds are coming from the State of Oklahoma and the Federal Aviation Administration.
According to Madison, citizens are contributing about 7 percent of the project’s funding.
“We look forward to the project and appreciate the FAA, the Oklahoma Department of Aerospace and Aeronautics and our citizens for contributing and helping us pay for this very much needed improvements,” he said.
During the project, airport staff will post progress updates online and in the airport terminal.
The runway at Sand Springs Pogue Airport is 5,800 feet long and 100-foot feet wide. It can accommodate the vast majority of business jet and recreational aircraft.
