Center runway construction also affects non-flyers

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Charles Dickens
  • 14th Flying Training Wing Public Affairs
COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. --  Beginning March 2, Columbus Air Force Base will undergo center runway construction all hours of the day every day through August. While the biggest impact of this construction will be on those involved with flying operations, non-flyers will be affected as well.

The largest issues for the non-flying community will be accessibility to certain areas of the base and excess noise early on and late within the process.

"The center runway construction will affect the non-flying community by closing the east portion of Perimeter Road, as shown on the map," said John Trumm, 14th Civil Engineer Squadron, Center Runway Construction Project Manager. "Perimeter Road will no longer be a continuous loop, and individuals will have to turn around at the road closure barriers."

With a portion of Perimeter Road closed off, an alternate route will need to be taken to access places such as the horse stables and archery range.

"The biggest impact is for individuals that need access to the horse stables will have to use the alternate route as shown on the map, and joggers and bicyclists that are used to using the entire Perimeter Road will no longer be able to do so during the six months," said Trumm.

Though inconvenient, closing Perimeter Road is a necessary step being taken to ensure proper safety and security for members of Columbus AFB.

"We have developed a plan to confine the construction traffic to a specific location which helps maintain the security of the base," said Trumm. "This plan also prohibits the occurrence of a conflict between construction vehicles and the base populace. A POV, bicyclist or jogger will lose every time to a truck loaded with 25 tons of crushed rock - we wanted to eliminate any chance of that happening on base."

During the early stages of construction, excess noise will be generated as a result of breaking concrete, said Trumm, as well as in the late stages of construction as the contractor grooves the new runway concrete.