An airport that supports firefighting efforts in the Oregon Cascades will be closed during June and July. But state officials say it will re-open before the peak of the wildfire season.
The Oakridge State Airport is a public facility located west of city limits. It sees around 1,800 general aviation flights each year, according to the Oregon Department of Aviation.
The airport is now scheduled for a $2.6 million reconstruction project, supported by state funding, including from Connect Oregon.
The plan is to rebuild the runway and taxiway, including new pavement, shoulder grading and windcones.
Tony Beach, Oregon’s State Airports Manager, said the upgrades are needed to handle future firefighting operations. He said the facility wasn’t originally built to withstand heavy equipment and Type 1 helicopters.
“It's taken excessive wear and a toll on the runway pavement to the point that in recent years, we've had to keep the runway closed after firefighting activity to conduct repairs,” said Beach. “And it's just been getting worse and worse.”
Oregon officials are bracing for a potentially severe wildfire season. This winter was the warmest in the state in recorded history.
Beach said construction is starting in June because the work requires good weather conditions.
He said if a fire breaks out while construction is underway, there are other sites that could support wildfire operations, including the Crescent Lake and Cottage Grove State Airports.
In an email to KLCC Thursday, Oakridge Mayor Bryan Cutchen said the city strongly supported the project, calling the airport “an important safety asset.”
“It provides a critical staging point for rotary-wing firefighting aircraft and serves as an access point for air ambulance operations,” said Cutchen. “The runway was nearing the end of its useful service life, so this reconstruction is an important investment in maintaining that capability for the future.”
