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Show $393 Thousand in Joint Funding Will Be Used for Airport Improvements Approval of a 76,070 grant by the Four Corners Regional Region-al Commission was announced announc-ed late last week by Governor Gov-ernor Calvin L. Rampton and Federal Co-chairman Stanley Womer. This grant, along with monies from Stale and Federal agencies will be used for improvement of the runway, taxiway and other facilities at Canyonlands Field. Womer said that Moab Is developing as a growth center cen-ter for southern Utah. The Canyonlands Airport provides commercial air service for southern Utah and this project pro-ject will enable the airport to provide increased service to meet the. needs of the area's ar-ea's growing tourism industry. indus-try. The Federal Aviation Administration, Ad-ministration, U. S. Depart ment of Transportation is making a 238,434 grant and the remaining $78,629 will be provided by State and some local funds in the $393,133 Project- . Grand County Commission Chairman Mars Pope stated this week that it is hoped that the project will be let for bids around March 1, 1972 and that work can begin soon thereafter. The construction must be started, Pope indicated, indi-cated, before July 1, the end of the fiscal year. The engineering en-gineering firm of Coon, King and Knowlton from Salt Lake City is presently submitting plans and specifications for the work at the field which will include resurfacing of a 100 foot strip in the center of the runway, resurfacing of the taxiway and apron rehabilitation re-habilitation as well as a 20 foot paved strip to provide for better drainage of the strip. New lights will also be installed. Commissioner Pope stated that work which was done at the field last fall, which in-m in-m eluded resurfacing of the run way to provide temporary relief for the runway de. Jerioration has apparently halted the buckling of the runway and will provide a good base on which to set th enew pavements. The Commission as well as state and Federal Aviation officials are optimistic that the work planned next year will provide pro-vide a more permanent surface sur-face at the Field. In the past, problems with the mancos shale occuring hi the area has caused many problems in keeping the runway in a condition which was safe for use by the large aircraft used us-ed by Frontier Airlines. At one time, stringent limitations limita-tions were placed on landing of the commercial aircraft at the field due to the condition of the runway. |