Central California’s San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport and its construction partners have completed the airport’s Runway 11-29 rehabilitation project.
The rehabilitation provided a comprehensive upgrade to the San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport (SBP) main runway and its taxiway connectors, while significant work was completed this project did not expand the runway or change any use of the property. The project, which involved a multi-year planning effort and six months of construction, was completed on time and on budget.
According to the airport operator, the project team maintained its budget and schedule in large part because of the Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) process. The project’s construction manager, Granite Construction Company, worked in advance with designers at Mead & Hunt to prepare the site, establish a guaranteed maximum price, and design a schedule that minimised impacts on air service. This meant that much of the project work was completed at night and other times outside the airlines’ flight schedules.
“The runway rehabilitation project required close coordination among many stakeholders, including the airport team, construction and design firms, airlines, and our tenants,” said Courtney Johnson, director of airports for the County of San Luis Obispo. “The entire team did an exceptional job carrying out the project safely, diligently, and with the lowest possible passenger impact.”
“We are proud to have been part of the team to improve SBP’s runways and taxiways,” said Granite Construction manager Adam Souza. “Our deep experience in airport runway construction, as well as our diligent on-the-ground work with the airport and Mead & Hunt enabled us to bring the airport in line with the latest federal safety standards in the most efficient way possible.”
The $13.5m project was entirely funded by the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Improvement Program.
SBP serves areas as far north as Southern Monterey County and as far south as Northern Santa Barbara County. Travellers have the choice of three commercial airlines with flights to several major US hubs, and the airport is also home to full-service general aviation and corporate facilities.
