Chautauqua County Airport–Jamestown Project Wins ACEC Excellence Award

MAYVILLE, NY -- Chautauqua County Executive Gregory J. Edwards is pleased to announce that the Chautauqua County Jamestown Airport Runway Safety Area Improvements project has received a prestigious award.

This $15 million project, designed and managed by C&S Companies, improved the runway safety area (RSA) for Runway 7-25 to meet FAA design standards. RSAs are critical safety features of airports that accommodate an accidental overrun, undershoot, or veer-off of an aircraft.

Edwards said the Chautauqua County Jamestown Airport Runway Safety Area Improvements project won a Gold award at the 2010 Engineering Excellence Awards Program of the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC), New York Chapter. This annual event recognizes and celebrates engineering achievements that demonstrate the highest degree of skill and ingenuity among member firms.

"Improving runway safety at the Chautauqua County Airport is crucial, and C&S Companies has shown again that they were up to the task of designing and managing this effort," Edwards said.

FAA standards require 1,000 feet of length beyond each runway end and 500 feet of width along the entire runway. At Jamestown, both ends of the runway did not meet the minimum standards.

Some of the improvements included:

• Construction of a tunnel for West Oak Hill Road (approximately 525 feet long by 32 feet wide) under the RSA at the southwest end.

• Construction of embankment for the proposed RSA (approximately 430,000 cubic yards). Fill material was excavated entirely on-site.

• Construction of a new FAA instrument landing system, including access road construction, two new shelters to house ILS equipment, and new power and communications utility services. C&S facilitated a reimbursable agreement (value of almost $1.3 million) for the FAA to provide the county design review, equipment and oversight services for their new system.

• Relocation of Turner Road (approximately 2,800 feet) around the proposed RSA at the northeast end of the runway. Approximately 230,000 tires from the Chautauqua County Landfill were assembled by Chautauqua County staff and used for road base.

• Mitigation of wetlands that were disturbed as a result of the safety area improvements. New wetlands were created at the Conewango Swamp, a site owned by the NYSDEC.

"Working closely with my administration, Director of Public Facilities George Spanos and Airport Manager Dave Sanctuary, C&S secured Federal FAA and New York State DOT funding for the project resulting in the creation of construction jobs throughout the term of the project," Edwards said. "This project will benefit users of the Jamestown airport, as well as those in the surrounding community, with increased safety."

ACEC is the voice of America’s engineering industry. The more than 5,500 firms comprising the council’s membership are engaged in a wide range of engineering works that propel the nation’s economy, and enhance and safeguard America’s quality of life.

Pictured, Department of Public Facilities Director George Spanos, Matt Wenham with C&S Companies, County Executive Greg Edwards, AirportManager Dave Sanctuary
Photo courtesy of Edwards' office