MARCO ISLAND — The long-awaited taxiway at Marco Island Executive Airport is cleared for takeoff with a recently approved $5.5 million grant, Collier County officials said Thursday.
The Marco Airport is the only 5,000-foot runway in Florida that accommodates jet traffic without a taxiway, officials reported.
That soon will be corrected as the Board of Collier County Commissioners received word from the U.S. Department of Transportation that the Collier County Airport Authority is the recipient of a $5,466,320 Federal Aviation Administration grant for the Marco Island Airport to construct a taxiway and apron, per a prepared statement released by Collier County spokesman John Torre on Thursday afternoon.
The lack of a taxiway is a safety concern that plagued airport users and government officials for years.
“It’s just an accident waiting to happen,” said Collier County District 1 Commissioner Donna Fiala in the prepared statement.
“The Marco Airport is a priority due to its critical need for a taxiway. With its heavy volume of private air traffic — especially during peak season — and the absence of a taxiway, it has been a major safety issue,” she said.
The 70-acre airport on Mainsail Drive in Naples, just north of Marco Island, currently has a busy runway that serves business and tourist jet aircraft traveling to and from south Naples and Marco Island. Because the airport lacks a taxiway, aircraft have to land and taxi back down the runway while other aircraft are waiting to land and take off.
The conditions frequently cause waits of 30 minutes or more, waste fuel and increase the likelihood of a crash, Dave Odom, owner and operator of Island Hoppers, has said
“The environmental permitting and mitigation process has taken nearly 10 years to complete and pending funding, the Collier County Airport Authority has completed all work necessary to construct this taxiway,” said County Manager Leo Ochs.
The approximate $800,000 expansion and relocation of the aircraft parking lot completed earlier this summer made way for the new taxiway and expansion of the south aircraft apron, which is an area that provides aircraft parking and maneuvering.
The cost estimate for the upcoming ramp expansion and taxiway, which is to run parallel to the runway and be 5,000 feet long by 35 feet wide, is $6 million, airport authority officials have said.
Super Bowl Sunday on Marco Island, 2012
Everglades City Seafood Festival 2012
Goodland Mullet Fest 2012
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 4
tiredofitall writes:
Can you imagine....the Federal Govt, who is now in charge of our health care, along with a bunch of enviormental zealots held up this purely SAFETY ISSUE for 10 YEARS in their broken and bloated system.
MrBreeze writes:
What a relief, now I can fly my jet in safety knowing the runway is compliant. Give me a break.
marcoislander writes:
just what we need more noisy planes sightseeing over the island wonder whose palm got filled on this job
Aviaconsul writes:
Well done Donna Fiala! Since Naples Airport is saturated Marco will be used more once the Taxi way is completed. "Safety has no Price!"
Share your thoughts
Comments are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. You agree not to post comments that are off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be banned. Click here for our full user agreement.