Show Spring Thaw Brings Troubles Officials View Airport Damage Future expansion and im- im immediate mediate repair of Vernal's air port came under discussion this week by Uintah County Utah State and federal avia avia- avia authorities Meeting with the Vernal Chamber of Commerce Tues Tues Tues- Tuesday day day Stewart Ashton Vernal member of the utah Aeron- Aeron Aeronautics Division introduced Bob Walker state aeronautics director and Federal Aviation Administration representatives Herman Maxwell and Ed LAND NEEDED Mr Walker speaking to the Chamber directors said the community must purchase acres at atthe atthe the runways runway's south end for future expansion Your airport is one of the most vital economic factors you enjoy he said Its orderly and progressive development should sho be the concern of every person het here today Recurring spring thaw dam dam- damage age to the runway was of more Immediate concern however as the group along with Uintah County Commissioners and en- en engineers engineers toured the new air drip One pothole roughly three feet by five feet has opened up p just south of the runways runway's mid point and the surrounding as as- as asphalt paving is broken with frost cracks swollen UI up to eight incItes Inches above the runway surface Damage began about March 1 with heavy moisture released released ed by melting snows and heavy precipitation in past weeks air terminal personnel reported The new covering not quite two years old suffered similar frost cracks last spring County crews moved onto the strip Wednesday to make tern tem temporary repairs to the damaged pa paving ving SLIPPING BASE One suspected cause calise of the paving weakness listed by the inspection group Tuesday Is Isan isan an apparently plastic nature of the base aggregate which lies between the new and old runway paving Moisture accumulated accumulated in the laden clay ag- ag aggregate aggregate apparently gives th the material II a tendency to slip sin un- under der the weight ot of Frontier Air Air- Airlines Airlines lines air air- aircraft aircraft craft A permanent solution to the problem is being sought by bythe bythe the concerned airport authorities authorities ies the county commission re- re reported reported ported after the tour Continuing his remarks to the Vernal Chamber Director Walker noted the nation is fac fac- fac facing Ing what he termed a mil mu- lion airport crisis Of airport projects reo re- requested quested for fiscal year 1969 at ata ata a cost of million Congress appropriated only 70 million BLEAK PICTURE If this were for only one year the picture would not be beso beso so bleak he commented However this is not the case The cost of the Na Na- Na System of Airports will continue to Increase for at least the next eight years at an estl esti mated six billion dollar price tag he said The state director mentioned a possible user fee to aid air air- airport port financing including one or orall orall all of several alternatives in in- in eluding a one dollar or er tax a two per cent ticket tax increases In aviation Idol el taxes and aircraft license fees Mr Walker estimated that some million annually could be collected If all the the the- theoretical theoretical tax schemes were en en- enacted acted For states to sit back and expect the federal government to solve the crisis Is criminal he asserted calling for utah and other states to step In Inand inand and actively seek seck a solution |