Contract Awarded for Airport Taxiway

Construction of a replacement taxiway at Van Nuys Airport, delayed for more than a year, is expected to resume this fall under a $7.6-million contract awarded Friday by the Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners.

The total cost of the project, including new lighting, signage and markings, is estimated at $9.7 million, said Robert H. Millard, chief airports engineer. That amount is in addition to $2.8 million paid by the department to a previous contractor who ran into construction difficulties and was unable to complete the work last year, Millard said.

The asphalt taxiway, along the eastern side of the airport and parallel to the runways, will replace an outdated taxiway that is rutted and located too close to the runways to meet current safety standards of the Federal Aviation Administration, Millard said.

Construction will be conducted from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. to avoid interfering with airport operations. Work is expected to begin in October and be completed within 280 days, according to the contract awarded to Security Paving Co. Inc.

Airport tenants and pilots had complained that they couldn’t access the airfield and had trouble using taxiways and runways because of obstructions from daytime construction allowed under the previous contract. Millard said the night work will make the project more expensive and take longer to complete than originally estimated.

“It makes it a more complex and difficult operation, but the airport will be less impacted. It will be a cleaner, smoother operation for everyone concerned.”