Jet fuel station planned for local airport

The pilots of corporate jets will soon be able to land at Northwest Missouri Regional Airport, brandish a credit card and say "fill 'er up."

Plans to install a new fueling system before year-end at the airport east of Maryville moved forward this week with the city's approval of an amended state block grant agreement with the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission, which is funding 95 percent of the cost using federal dollars.

The City Council action on Monday added another $109,000 to the project, to be completed by the end of December. That brings the total price tag to just over $472,000, about $24,000 of which will be covered by the city's 5-percent match.

When complete, the new fueling station will comprise two 10,000-gallon tanks containing 100LL (low lead) aviation gasoline and  kerosene-like Jet A fuel, which is used to power turbine engines in civilian aircraft.

The new fueling station is one of a couple of planned airport projects. The other, to take place sometime over the next five years, includes upgrades to the apron, runway and taxiway.

Several paved surfaces at the airport are showing signs of deterioration, and the repair/upgrade has been approved in principal by the Missouri Department of Transportation.

JViation was hired by the city two weeks ago to provide planning, design and construction engineering services for paving project. The agreement is in the form of a 5-year retainer with no immediate financial considerations.

Like the fueling station, the project will be funded mostly with MoDOT grant money with the exception of a relatively small local match.

City Manager Greg McDanel said Monday the cost of recent repairs required at the airport after extreme heat buckled a section of runway on June 25 will likely be rolled into the paving initiative.

Damage to a 25-foot-square section of concrete was not covered by insurance, McDanel said, but the buckled area was part of the area to be resurfaced anyway.

Emergency repairs were completed by Loch Sand & Construction of Maryville, and the the airport was reopened after a brief shutdown.