"Construction resumes on billion-dollar runway at Seattle airport"

Thursday, July 8, 2004

Construction resumes on billion-dollar runway at Seattle airport
The Tacoma (WA) News Tribune


Construction has quietly resumed on one of the most expensive and
contentious public works projects in the history of Puget Sound, the
billion-dollar third runway at Sea-Tac Airport. 

For the Port of Seattle, Sea-Tac's owner, the construction restart marks
an important milestone in a long battle with the airport's neighboring
communities. They have spent $13 million and half a dozen years
challenging the runway's construction in the courts. A state Supreme
Court ruling in May cleared the way for the project's resumption.

But that victory has been expensive in time and money. When the runway
finally opens in late 2008, its costs will have more than doubled and
its opening been delayed by half a dozen years. That delay and the
accompanying cost increases have made the Sea-Tac third runway a poster
child for difficult runway projects. And those higher costs now threaten
to make the airport's per-passenger costs for airlines among the most
expensive in the country.

For those who fought the project -- principally a coalition of nearby
cities and the Highline School District -- the struggle has diverted
precious public resources and failed to bring the sought-for
cancellation.

Stu Creighton, a Normandy Park city councilman and vice chairman of the
Airport Communities Coalition, the port's main opponent, said the long
court fight did lead to important environmental guarantees for the
nearby communities. But the group was unable to convince the port, state
and federal agencies that the new runway was unnecessary and potentially
harmful.

Now, unless other political or environmental issues or challenges arise,
the port faces only the great size of the project itself.

Marlys St. Laurent, a spokeswoman for the third runway project, said
work to be done in the next four years includes several major
components:

--Completion of a massive fill. The area west of the airport is a deep
valley that must be brought up to the same level as the existing
runways. The total fill volume is 17 million cubic yards.

The port, before it was halted by court challenges of its environmental
permits, filled an area at the northwest end of the airport, but now the
remainder must be completed.

Dump trucks bringing fill from several sites in Pierce and South King
counties arrive at a fairly leisurely pace, about 15 an hour and only
during the day. Once the fill project begins in earnest, that pace will
be upped to 65 trucks an hour, 24 hours a day -- except for the
3:30-to-7 p.m. rush hour.

The port has built two access roads to the area to accommodate the
construction traffic alone.

--Construction of three retaining walls as high as 135 feet to keep the
fill in place. The walls will be made of what's called mechanically
stabilized earth faced with concrete panels and reinforced with
galvanized steel strips.

A committee of soil experts has reviewed the construction design. They
believe the fill will withstand even a strong earthquake.

--Relocation of a road that bends around the airport's northern end to
make way for a safety area at the end of the new runway.

--Creation of wetlands on the airport site and along the Green River in
Auburn to replace wetlands covered by the new fill.

Third runway environmental manager Elizabeth Leavitt said the wetlands
near the airport will be planted with vegetation that are unattractive
to birds because birds are potential safety hazards to airliners. The
off-site wetlands, which are located several miles from the airport,
will be made attractive to native and migrating fowl.

--Creation of huge retaining ponds to contain runoff from the runway
areas. The runoff water will be used to recharge the wetlands and creeks
to ensure the health of the aquatic life in the area.

--Potential acquisition of about 100 more homes that will be affected by
the noise from the runway. The Port of Seattle will install extra
insulation in 98 homes subject to more airport noise.

The port has already spent nearly $388 million on the project. Final
costs are expected to range from $1.1 billion to $1.2 billion, St.
Laurent said.

The total cost of the new runway plus a simultaneous airport terminal
expansion and remodeling project might total more than $4 billion.

The first phase of the terminal project -- a new, 14-gate A Concourse
and Port of Seattle office structure -- opened last month.

A complete overhaul of the airport's central terminal area is now under
way. It is scheduled to open next spring.

The overhaul project includes replacement of the airport's 30-year-old
subways and enhancement of its parking and security screening.

Airlines and the federal government are sharing the bill for the
improvements even while the airport's traffic has sagged and airline
fortunes have sunk in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Airport director Gina Marie Lindsey said that while the timing of the
improvements could have been better, the airport still needs the
capabilities they bring. Traffic at Sea-Tac is beginning to rebound.
Through May, traffic at the airport is up more than 8 percent over the
same period last year.

The third runway is necessary to stem air traffic delays that occur when
the airport's visibility drops. Sea-Tac's two existing runways are only
800 feet apart, too close to allow them to be used simultaneously in bad
weather. The new runway will be far enough away from the easternmost
runway to allow staggered landings and takeoffs on both runways during
periods of reduced visibility.

The new costs could force airlines using Sea-Tac to pay the airport as
much as $23 per passenger in fees in 2009, up from $4 per passenger in
the mid-'90s. The airport has put itself on a strict expense control
diet, and it is asking for the federal government for more aid to
mitigate the higher costs.

Airlines will have little choice but to pay those higher fees, however,
because there are no major, cheaper alternate airports readily available
for those traveling to and from the Puget Sound area.

SEA-TAC AIRPORT'S THIRD RUNWAY PROJECT

Cost: $1.2 billion

Completion: Late 2008

Length: 8,500 feet

Fill required: 17.5 million cubic feet

Dump trucks needed to transport fill: 65 an hour, 24 hours daily for
three years

SOURCE: Port of Seattle


 Do you have an opinion about this story?
Share it with other readers in our CAA Discussion Forums

http://www.californiaaviation.org/dcfp/dcboard.php


*****************************************