Runway work begins at state’s third busiest airport

A new runway is under construction at W.K.Kellogg Airport in Battle Creek.The 4,100-foot-long, 75-foot-wide runway is intended to improve the safety and efficiency of the airport, says Airport Manager Larry Bowron.Bowron says the runway, being built southeast of the airports existing 10,000-foot runway, will separate high-speed jets and slower general aviation aircraft. The existing larger runway will be freed up primarily for the faster traveling jets, although the slower aircraft will have the option of using either runway as available.The runway is expected to cost $7.2 million primarily paid for through the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Improvement program. The city and state are picking up the outstanding 5 percent of the cost.The work is expected to be done by the end of the summer.The project allows the airport to accommodate the growth it has seen over the past six to eight years, primarily that of Western Michigan University’s School of Aviation and Duncan Aviation, Bowron says.Other airport projects are wrapping up or are completed. A $5.1 million air traffic control tower paid for by the federal government has been constructed.A previously stalled corporate hangar for the Kellogg Co. is now being built for about $10 million. When the project is complete, Kellogg will lease the hangar for about $35,000 a month. The W.K. Kellogg Airport, owned by the City of Battle Creek, is the state’s third busiest airport after Detroit Metropolitan Airport and the Oakland County International Airport. Writer: Kathy JenningsSource: Larry Bowron, W.K. Kellogg Airport