Posted Monday, March 30, 2009 -- 5:25pm
By Zac Schultz

Madison: More federal stimulus money is rolling into Dane County, this time to the Dane County Regional Airport.

Most people who use the Dane County Regional Airport only see it from the west side, where commercial flights arrive and depart.

But the majority of the plane traffic actually comes from the other side of the airport, where the Air National Guard, FedEx and private planes at Wisconsin Aviation dominate the runways.

But if those planes want to use the main north-south runway, they need to cross it right in the middle before they can taxi to the bottom. "That's a pretty busy runway," says Dane County Supervisor Dennis O'Loughlin. "Then you get all this traffic, whether it be FedEx, or people from Wisconsin Aviation, or whether it be the military, they're crossing, and that's a problem."

$4 million from the federal government will help solve that by constructing Taxiway B. Planes will be able to taxi to the end of the runway without first crossing it.

"This makes getting out of the airport quicker, it makes getting into the airport quicker once you're on the ground," says O'Loughlin.

Federal stimulus money will pay for the entire project. "We were encouraged by the County Executive to seek federal funding in the stimulus way for projects of this nature," says Brad Livingston, Executive Director of the Airport.

The airport had Taxiway B on their wish list for quite a while, and it was scheduled for some time next decade.

O'Loughlin says last fall they heard about possible stimulus funds and they rushed the design to an architect. "The next thing you know we're ready to go. You hear these words like boots-ready, shovel-ready, blah, blah, blah. That's where it is."

Construction will start this June. The construction project is expected to create about 50 jobs.

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Posted Monday, March 30, 2009 --- Noon

Press release from the Governor's Office:

MADISON – Governor Jim Doyle announced today a $4 million American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) award to extend Taxiway B at Dane County Regional Airport. The funding will create jobs for local residents, invest in the long-term economic growth of the region, and enhance travel safety.

“With the Recovery and Reinvestment Act, instead of standing in the way of recovery, Wisconsin is leading efforts to put people to work and invest in future growth,” Governor Doyle said. “Today, here in Dane County, we are beginning the task of rebuilding America’s future one community at a time. I want to thank Kathleen Falk for her leadership in making Dane County a strong partner in these efforts.”

“This exciting project not only helps put people to work, it's also a big upgrade for an airport so vitally important to Dane County's economy," County Executive Kathleen Falk said. "Our airport offers great convenience for business travelers whether they're coming or going."

The $4 million award will provide much-need assistance to improve Taxiway B. The project is expected to create jobs for landscapers, pavers, asphalt plant workers, quarry workers, various sub contractors, truck drivers, flagmen, engineers, foremen, laborers, and others.

The construction will build a full-length parallel taxiway that will allow aircraft and ground service vehicles to maneuver without blocking an active runway. This improvement will reduce the risk of collision, and allow planes to take-off and land more quickly. The funding will also allow ground controllers to more safely and efficiently direct aircraft on the ground.

The project is expected to bid in May 2009 and begin construction in June. Most of the work will be completed this summer, and the project should be finished by December.

Governor Doyle thanked the Obama Administration and Wisconsin’s Congressional delegation, especially Congressman Dave Obey and Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin, for their work on the recovery act. The Governor also thanked County Executive Kathleen Falk for working with his Administration to move quickly to put ARRA funds to work.

For more information about the Wisconsin Office of Recovery and Reinvestment, please visit: http://recovery.wisconsin.gov/.