Airport work will force road closure

June 05, 2006|by TARA REILLY

HAGERSTOWN

Some residents living near Hagerstown Regional Airport said the six-month closure of Byers Road will be an inconvenience, but it shouldn't cause major problems.

The airport recently announced the section of the road between U.S. 11 and Reidtown Road will be closed from June 12 to Dec. 15 to accommodate the approximately $61 million runway extension project that began in 2004.

The airport is planning road construction, installation of a sewage pump station and utility ductbanks in that area as part of the runway project, according to a written statement.

Byers Road resident Terry Shuck said he won't be able to enter or exit the road at U.S. 11, so he will have to use other roads to get to his destinations.

"But other than that, I don't think it's going to be too bad, just inconvenient," Shuck said.

Similar sentiment was shared by Clarence Showalter, who lives on Byers Road. He also called the closure inconvenient.

He estimated the detour would add about two miles to the trips of residents who use the road.

Shuck said six homes and a business are on Byers Road.

The runway will extend over U.S. 11 when completed. The total project is scheduled for completion in December 2007.

The extension will lengthen the runway from 5,461 feet to 7,000 feet and add 1,000-foot safety areas at each end of the runway.

The Federal Aviation Administration has said it would contribute $47 million for the project's construction. The state has agreed to pay $10.6 million and the county's share is $2.6 million, not including interest.

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