Runway 6/24 Safety Area Improvements Receive 2019 ACEC Ohio EEA Honor Award

CHA has earned an Honor Award in the ACEC Ohio 2019 Engineering Excellence Awards for Runway 6/24 Safety Area Improvements at the Cuyahoga County Airport - Robert D. Shea Field (CGF). This airport has a single runway designated Runway 6/24, which is 5,502 feet long and 100 feet wide. Before the Runway 6/24 Safety Area Program began, the runway was not compliant with current Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) design standards, and the runway’s pavement condition was reaching a critical point of disrepair.

To utilize Airport Improvement Program (AIP) funds for the runway rehabilitation, non-standard Runway Safety Areas had to be addressed. In addition to the insufficient runway safety area on the end of the runways, the runway had obstruction issues, the runway profile was non-standard, there were transverse grade problems, and the pavement section was inadequate for aircraft operating at the airport. Due to funding challenges, the construction had to be phased over three seasons. The program included a runway shift, installation of an Engineered Materials Arresting System (EMAS) at both ends, rebuilding the south side of the runway from the centerline, and asphalt overlaid on the northern side. Numerous FAA-owned facilities were relocated, and new approach lights were installed. The program also included the removal of more than 600,000 cubic yards of earth, drainage improvements, taxiway relocations and improvements, and obstruction removal.

The award will be presented at the annual EEA Awards Luncheon in Columbus, Ohio, on March 14, 2019.