ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR RUNWAY EXTENSION WITH VEGETATED MSE WALL AT PAOLI MUNICIPAL AIRPORT
Project Details
CLIENT
Paoli Board of Aviation Commissioners
LOCATION
Paoli, IN
The Paoli Board of Aviation Commissioners owns and operates the Paoli Municipal Airport (I42), a local general aviation airport with a 2,793-foot by 50-foot runway. In order to lengthen/widen the runway and accommodate critical aircraft users, Woolpert was selected to develop an environmental assessment (EA) and analyze the use of a vegetated mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) wall.
Woolpert justified the runway extension/widening to 3,301 feet by 60 feet while evaluating unique solutions to control costs and avoid environmental restraints.
Further, Woolpert presented an out-of-the-box solution that changed the norm for tree removal and mitigation (and was approved by both IDEM and the FAA). In lieu of traditional tree removal/mitigation practices, Woolpert suggested that the airport make a voluntary contribution to an established tree conservation group. This donation resulted in the planting of more trees than requested while reducing original estimated mitigation costs by over 90 percent.