WARWICK — The Federal Aviation Administration has thrown out several
proposed plans for expansion at T.F. Green Airport and is now considering a
scaled-back runway extension that would take fewer homes and cost significantly
less to construct, while still adding nonstop coast-to-coast service that is
considered critical to air travel growth.
The latest proposal, unveiled last night, calls for lengthening the
airport’s main runway to 8,700 feet — 650 feet shorter than has been previously
proposed. At that length, the runway extension would still take some wetlands,
as well as homes and businesses on the south side of the airport, but it would
avoid direct interference with ecologically sensitive stream beds of the
Buckeye Brook and swallow about half as many houses.
FAA officials cite the enormous costs and logistics associated with four
previous options, as well as the impact on the local community, as the reason
for the unexpected change of plans.
They denied that it had any connection to Warwick Mayor Scott Avedisian’s well publicized attack last week on the
findings of their first draft study.
Since early 2005, the FAA has been researching the impact of expanding T.F.
Green’s main runway from its current 7,166 feet to 9,350 feet, the length it
previously said was needed to accommodate most airplanes large enough to
provided nonstop service to the West Coast.
Four of the five proposed options called for expanding the runway to the
south and burying the heavily traveled
The accompanying public vehicle tunnel would also be the first of its kind
in
That leaves two expansion plans now on the table. First, the scaled-back,
8,700-foot proposal would extend the runway to the south of the airport — to
avoid significant impact on the wetlands. But instead of burying Main Avenue to
create space for federally mandated safety zones at the runway’s edge, this
plan calls for a graded runway, essentially, a runway that slopes up, so planes
take off well above street level. It’s a creative way of adhering to federal
safety codes, while fitting runways into congested areas. FAA officials cited
several other airports in the
The state Airport Corporation voted last night to spend $500,000 to study
the shorter expansion option. That analysis is expected to be completed in the
fall.
The FAA says 8,700 feet is long enough to accommodate about 91 percent of
planes that travel nonstop to the West Coast, including the Boeing 737-500
series, considered “the workhorse” of the industry and a preferred model for
airline giants such as Southwest and United. Anything shorter than 8,700 feet
would prevent that fleet from making the nonstop coast-to-coast trip, said
Airport Corporation President Mark Brewer.
The second plan still under consideration is the sole remaining 9,350
proposal. That option calls for lengthening the runway to the north of the
airport, thus relocating
The 8,700-foot runway plan would cost $469 million and take 152 houses and
71 businesses. That’s compared with $538 million for the remaining 9,350-foot
runway proposal, which would take 339 homes and 75 businesses.
It was clear yesterday that the board members, who voted unanimously to
study the shorter expansion option, preferred the scaled back project.
“By adding this additional runway length in the study, we feel it will
enable us to make a much more informed decision on the future of
Avedisian, who last week blasted the Airport
Corporation and the FAA for seriously underestimating the impact expansion would have on the city, praised the board late
yesterday. “I think it’s 650 feet in the right
direction,” he said, referring to the length that’s been trimmed from the
proposed expansion. “I’m hopeful that they at least looked at comments and
concerns from the city. I said all along I think Dr. Hittner
brings a new leadership and a new way of looking at things. I’m hopeful that we
will continue to have an honest and frank discussion about what’s going on.”
Even airport critics seemed pleased that the FAA and the airport corporation
were willing to listen. Michael Zarum, a Warwick
resident and staunch opponent of expansion, said that while there are still
major impacts associated with expansion, he, too, felt hopeful after
yesterday’s vote. “It shows the process is moving forward,” he said. “I think
they are moving in the right direction. Finally.”
The FAA will not make a final recommendation on its expansion choice until
next year. On June 14, the FAA will hold a public meeting to outline expansion
options and take questions at the Crowne Plaza Hotel,
Route 5,