Metro Airport has received an $8 million federal grant to fund the construction of a Ground Run-Up Enclosure to mitigate noise from the region's major airport.
The enclosure is a big, boxed-in area where crews can test engines without waking the neighbors. Aircraft need to have their engines tested after repairs but before going back into service, a process that can take anywhere from a few minutes to nearly an hour.
"Mostly what it does is reflect the noise straight into the air," says Michael Conway, director of public affairs for Metro Airport.
To do this effectively, the project's price tag clocks in at $10.34 million. This pays for the lights, water connections, a 43-inch cement slab, and high concrete walls that are formed specifically to muffle noise before it wakes the neighbors.
Currently those tests are performed in open areas near the runways. The structure will measure 350 feet by 300 feet and be located just north of taxiway A-5. It will absorb, deflect, and muffle most of the noise from the testing, enough so that it can be done at night.
Other airports with similar noise enclosures include Oakland/Pontiac, Chicago O'Hare, and Memphis.
Work is set to begin later this year.
Source: Michael Conway, director of public affairs for Metro Airport
Writer: Jon Zemke
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