March 26, 2008

Mackinac Island, Mich. - With the terminal building renovation phase of the Mackinac Island airport improvement program nearing completion, the Mackinac Island State Park Commission (MISPC) looks forward to the next stage of development in this multi-year project that aims to better serve the community and general public.

Renovation of the airport terminal building is scheduled to be completed this spring, with a grand-opening event planned for the morning of July 25. Beginning in 2006, as the airport continued to operate for residents and visitors, the old terminal was expanded, facilities were improved, and a new electrical vault was constructed.

With this major project nearly completed, the MISPC looks ahead to this summer when the fence around the terminal will be repaired, enhancing the island airport even more for residents and visitors.

In the meantime, plans are in the works for another major phase of the airport improvement program. Rehabilitation of the airport runway has been part of the long-range strategic plan for a number of years. The runway is scheduled to be reconstructed during a six-to-eight-week period during the spring of 2010, at which time the airport will remain closed. The runway was last paved in 1989, and has received only "crack sealing" during the past 18 years. In addition, the substructure below the runway is over 40 years old.

In the process of investigating this phase of the project, the MISPC, working in conjunction with the Michigan Department of Transportation, Bureau of Aeronautics (MDOT BOA), has identified a great opportunity to address three safety issues related to the runway while also complying with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations.

• The runway surface will be re-graded, resolving the current line-of-sight issue for pilots.



• Underground faults in the limestone bedrock below parts of the runway, which have caused sinkholes, will be stabilized.



• FAA regulations, requiring an airport-owned Runway Safety Area (RSA) that is 300 feet from the end of the runway and free of any obstructions, will be met by moving the runway 65 feet to the east. The runway will be moved, not lengthened. It will remain its current length of 3,500 feet.

"By successfully completing the rehabilitation of the runway and addressing these additional issues, the Mackinac Island State Park Commission will be upgrading the facility and improving safety for pilots, their passengers and nearby residents," said Mackinac State Historic Parks Director Phil Porter.

The renovation of the airport runway is part of the MISPC's mission to protect, preserve and present the parks' rich historic and natural resources for the education and recreation of future generations. Over 80 percent of Mackinac Island is state park land, offering numerous recreational opportunities and natural geographic wonders to the public at no cost during every season. In 2007, 14,672 passengers utilized the airport during 8,620 flights. The MISPC is proud to continue its service to these visitors and island residents by entering into this next stage of airport improvement.

Mackinac State Historic Parks, a pure Michigan family of living history museums and parks in northern Michigan's Straits of Mackinac, is an agency within the Michigan Department of History, Arts and Libraries. Its sites - which are accredited by the American Association of Museums - include Fort Mackinac, Mackinac Island State Park and Historic Downtown on Mackinac Island, and Colonial Michilimackinac, Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse and Historic Mill Creek Discovery Park in Mackinaw City. Mackinac State Historic Parks is governed by the Mackinac Island State Park Commission, established in 1895 to protect, preserve and present the parks' rich historic and natural resources for the education and recreation of future generations. Visitor information is available at (231) 436-4100 or on the Web at www.MackinacParks.com.

Read more press releases from the Department of History, Arts and Libraries (HAL).