Marco Island airport seeks FAA funds for runway planning

The executive director of Marco Island Executive Airport said a potential $499,170 federal grant to update the airport’s master plan is an important step in repairing the airport’s runway and other infrastructure. 

“The Marco Island Executive Airport has not had an Airport Master Plan Update since 2006, and there has been much change in the past 20 years that needs to be taken into consideration for the next 20 years,” said Bryant Garrett, who manages the airport. 

He made his comments recently after the Collier County Commission approved the airport’s latest Federal Aviation Administration grant application.  

The Airport Infrastructure Improvement grant will help the airport update that master plan, which serves as the strategic framework for the airport’s long-term development and operational planning and focuses on enhancing safety, efficiency and capacity. 

There is no cost to the county, staff said. Should the FAA award the grant, the county would receive about $474,212, or 95%; with a required match from the county of $24,958 (5%). The county believes the Florida Department of Transportation will provide $19,967 or 4%, leaving a county required match of 1% or $4,991. The county can obtain that money from Marco Island Executive Airport’s annual operating revenues. 

Garrett said updating the airport’s master plan is vital to obtaining federal and state money to improve the airport’s buildings and grounds. In fact, FAA and FDOT grants paid for the airport’s $3.5 million, 12,000-square-foot bulk aircraft storage hangar that opened in November, he said. The airport also finished a $9.4 million terminal expansion five years ago. 

Garrett said the updated master plan will focus on how to rejuvenate the airport’s single, 5,000-foot-long asphalt runway. It’s in good condition now, but is expected to need repair in the next two years. 

“The Master Plan will evaluate the current 2027 condition of our pavement and schedule the appropriate type of project for the next 20 years,” he said. “Right now, the runway is in good condition and a rejuvenation is scheduled for 2029.” 

According to Garrett, the airport has three options for maintaining the runway, depending on the landing strip’s condition. 

• Option 1: Rejuvenate deteriorating sections of runway by injecting a replacement binder that returns flexibility in the pavement. It’s done up to three times in the 25-year lifecycle of the asphalt and can add 10 years to the life of the runway asphalt. 

• Option 2: Mill the runway of the top two to four inches of surface, then repave those two to four inches, Garret said. Option 2 should be all that is needed to reset the 20- to 25-year lifecycle unless the base and or the sub-base of the runway has been compromised — usually by water or neglect. 

• Option 3: If the base and/or sub-base is compromised, officials would have to completely repave the runway. 

“This is the most expensive asphalt project and should be avoided if methods above are correctly utilized,” Garrett said. 

However, none of this can occur until the airport updates its master plan, which the $499,170 FAA grant will pay for. 

“Projects that we choose to request FAA and FDOT funding for must be consistent with the Airport Master Plan and identified on the Airport Layout Plan,” Garrett said. “We are grateful to the commissioners for approving the grant application.”