The Fort Smith Airport Commission awarded an engineering contract to Morrison Shipley Engineers on Tuesday night as the commission plans the rehabilitation of Runway 1/19.
According to a memorandum to commissioners, the project should extend the life of the asphalt runway for another 10 years. John Parker, director of the Fort Smith Regional Airport, said the typical life for an asphalt runway is 15 years.
Included in the $229,200 project is "preparing the runway, spraying a seal coat and remarking."
Greg Shipley, president of Morrison Shipley Engineers, said if an alternate surface treatment were used instead of rehabilitation, the cost would range from $1 million to $1.5 million.
"The FAA is big on (rehabilitation) during conservative times," he added.
Parker told commissioners $16,300 will be expended initially on design work, while additional funds would not be expended pending the application and approval of a grant through the Arkansas Aeronautics Commission to pay 80% of the rehabilitation costs. The airport would pay the remaining 20%.
"We would coordinate with the Department of Aeronautics to make sure we don't get too far out (before bidding the project)," he said.
The project is projected to take 30 days to complete, according to Parker. He said from the time of application to completion should be approximately two months.
Shipley said he expected the project to be complete in June.
In other business, the commission accepted bids for a new fuel pump system. American Petro bid $22,866.03 for the system while The Southern Company bid $18,745. The commission accepted The Southern Company's bid.