Burbank Airport to Spend $466,031 to Ease Traffic Snarls

The Burbank Airport commission awarded a $466,031 contract Monday to resurface deteriorating airport parking lots and build two baggage drop-off areas.

The project is designed to relieve traffic congestion in front of the terminal buildings, an airport spokesman said.

The contract, awarded to Excel Paving Co., also calls for the restructuring of a parking lot just west of the old terminal building. The modification would allow cars to enter on the east side, near Hollywood Way, rather than driving to the terminal as they must now do, spokesman Victor Gill said.

That part of the project will be put off, however, until airport officials learn whether or not the lot will be available.

The Federal Aviation Administration recently ordered the airport to convert the parking lot into a boarding area for airlines. The FAA order was based on safety considerations.

The commission is trying to decide on a new location for the terminal, which is closer to the airport’s two runways than current federal regulations allow.

As one of several short-term safety measures, the FAA has ordered the airport to stop using three parking lots containing about 1,400 spaces. The area should be cleared of cars, the FAA said, so aircraft can use it for boarding and taxiing, leaving more open space along the runways.

Airport officials and airlines using the airport hope that another solution can be found so the parking lot can be used until the terminal is moved, Gill said.