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Zephyrhills City Council Approves $5.4M In Airport Improvements
Zephyrhills city officials are moving forward with plans designed to accommodate larger aircraft, needed for new industry in the area.
ZEPHYRHILLS, FL —The Zephyrhills City Council has agreed to extend the runway at Zephyrhills Municipal Airport to accommodate larger aircraft and corporate jets needed to support growing industry around the airport.
The city has awarded a bid for construction to C.W. Roberts Consulting for $5,471,542 to extend the runway 6,200 feet, extend a taxiway, pave the runway shoulders and construct an access road.
The runway extension at the airport, located at 39450 South Ave., is due to be completed in November 2021.
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"Extending the runway is an important step in the ongoing redevelopment of the Zephyrhills Airport," airport director, Nathan Coleman, said. "These projects are occurring so that we can keep up with the pace of continued growth that Zephyrhills is experiencing."
In addition to the runway extension, proposed plans for continued redevelopment include:
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- Build corporate style hangars intended for jet overnight parking.
- Upgrade current facilities at the fuel farm. The fuel farm contract is anticipated to be awarded May.
- Build infrastructure road connecting to Alston Avenue.
- Rehabilitate Taxiway A: A large majority of the Taxiway A asphalt pavement is 28 years old and need to be replaced.
- Minor longitudinal and transverse slope corrections will be made with new Federal Aviation Administration standards applied.
- Airfield marking, lighting and signage are also included in this project.
The estimated total project cost is $3.2 million. This phase is currently in design. Construction is expected to begin in November.
The city is also replacing and upgrading the current airfield beacon (under contract now), constructing a new aircraft parking area to accommodate additional jet traffic, a new terminal and parallel runways.
Opened in January 1942, the airport was used by the originally used by the U.S. Army Air Forces as a tactical combat simulation school. In 1947, the 813-acre facility with two runways, was deeded to the city and became well-known throughout the state for its skydiving school.
The airport is also home to the Museum of Military History.
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