Airport to shut down for runway refurbish

Published 10:00 am Friday, February 24, 2023

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The LaGrange Callaway Airport will soon have to shut down for a few days while one runway is being resealed.

On Tuesday, The Troup County Board of Commissioners approved a bid for the repairs to a runway at the airport in LaGrange.

The project will provide a crack seal, seal coat and remarking of runway 3-21 in order to extend the usable life span of the runway and ensure the markings are in compliance with FAA guidelines.

The commissioners unanimously voted to accept the low bid from Wall Asphalt Services, Inc. in the amount of $482,092.50. The total cost of the project is $631,440.50.

The Georgia Department of Transportation will pay 75 percent of the project through $473,580.38 in grant funding. The remaining local share of $157,860.12 will be paid from the Airport Fund Account.

The funds beyond the bid are due to consulting fees to make sure the asphalt is put down according to FAA standards, said Public Services Director Dexter Wells.

County Manager Eric Mosley said the project is not eligible for federal funding because it’s a cross runway.

Wells said the work should be done fairly quickly as they have the timeline under contract.

“I believe it’s less than 20 days through the project. They’re going to start on runway 3 and work back in toward 2-1 toward the fire station,” Wells said. “Then the intersection will be shut down, which means the entire airport will need to shut down for two days.”

Commission Chairman Patrick Crews noted the two-day shutdown could potentially interfere with local shipments.

In other business, the commissioners approved:

4 Separate requests by the Solicitor’s Office to approve two GCIP Grant Awards that will provide funding for two interns at $12/hour for up to 200 hours for the Solicitors Office and Public Defender’s Office.

4 A request by the DUI/Drug Court to apply for an accountability court grant in the amount of $220,247.78. The grant requires a 12 percent match, which would be paid for using the DATE fund.

4 A request by the Mental Health Court to apply for an accountability court grant in the amount of $335,805.06. The grant requires a 12 percent match, which would be paid by the City of LaGrange and Carroll County.

4 A request by the Felony Adult Drug Court to apply for an accountability court grant in the amount of $211,349.17. The grant requires a $28,820.34 cash match, which would be paid for using the DATE fund.

4 A request by the Family Treatment Court to apply for an accountability court grant in the amount of $166,760.19. The grant requires a $22,740.02 cash match, which would be paid for using the DATE fund.

4 A beer and wine application by Dixit Patel for 7703 West Point Rd.