"Gary/Chicago Airport growth on track despite railroads"

Thursday, March 15, 2007

Airport growth on track despite railroads
By Michelle L. Quinn
The Gary (IN) Post-Tribune

GARY -- A glitch in negotiations between the Gary/Chicago International 
Airport and three railroads regarding the airport expansion shouldn't 
cause any setbacks on its construction.

The Airport Authority at its Wednesday meeting discussed the issue 
concerning the expansion, which will move a large stretch of track on 
which EJ&E, Norfolk Southern and CSX use. The railroads, according to 
Airport Administrator Chris Curry, are at odds over which railroad will 
control the right-of-way once the track is relocated.

In its present form, the expansion calls for the EJ&E track to form a 
junction with the CSX track, Curry said. Currently, CSX doesn't use its 
line but does have a hold on it for possible future needs.

EJ&E, however, doesn't want CSX to control the junction.

Authority member Ross Amundson said that whether the airport goes ahead 
with the expansion using the original plan or modifies it to address the 
railroads' concerns, the Authority isn't going to allow the railroads to 
stall work needlessly.

"If it was up to me, I'd be out there running the bulldozer myself," 
said Authority President Marion Johnson Jr. "This is something all of us 
have dreamed about, so I want it done as quickly as possible."

A second expansion-related relocation will be less problematic but will 
cost $2,452,832, as the Authority approved a request to move a fuel tank 
owned by CITGO that's currently within the proposed runway's protection 
zone. Airport engineer Ken Ross said CITGO handled the bids for its 
relocation and has asked the Authority to put money in a draw account so 
that it could make payments progressively.

The tank's relocation will be paid from RDA funds, Ross said.

In other business, the airport received an unexpected windfall of 
$52,000, courtesy of Pan Am Airlines.

The airport in October received a default judgment in Lake Superior 
Court against Pan Am for landing fees it still owed after it left the 
city, Curry said. The judgment required the airline, whose hub is now 
located in Portsmouth, N.H., to make four payments of $13,000; the 
airport received the last payment March 2.

The payments eased any hard feelings the airport may have had for the 
airline.

"They were the first to recognize the potential Gary has," Amundson said.


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