Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Commission Works On Airport Upgrade

With a little luck to go along with a lot of hard work, Gurdon's Lowe Field may soon be widened.

According to Mary Burns, a member of the Gurdon Airport Commission, the group is working to raise funds rom the government to widen the runway from its current 30 feet to a more accessible 75 feet.

Burns said insurance companies for some larger airplanes require runways of this width.

She said the commission is looking at a Federal Aviation Administration grant for part of the project money. "They're allotting money for projects all over the state," she said. "Arkadelphia recently received $124,000."

Gurdon is losing business because the runways at Lowe Field are so narrow, Burns said. Potlatch, International Paper, Cabe Land and Timber and Anthony Timber Co. use Lowe Field for the spraying of their timber in the area, along with other commercial uses.

The airport, she said, is a necessity in order for Gurdon to grow commercially.

The expansion will be done in four phases, Burns said. The first stage is almost complete.

It consists of acquiring air easements from the end of the usable runway for 1,000 feet both ways as a glide path.

Trees on both sides of the runway have already been cleared out.

The second phase will see a new drainage ditch installed under the runway.

Burns said water must flow beneath the runway and the current ditch will have to be dug out and the pipe replaced.

The phases may not go in exact order, she said. How the project goes will depend on how the money comes in.

The commission is working on a grant which requires it to raise $25,000 in order to receive $75,000 from the federal government.

"This won't cost the city anything," she said. "It will be a benefit to the city."

There is no timetable to get all the required work done.

Burns said the commission can apply for the matching grant on an annual basis as it can raise the funds.

The airport engineering firm of Garver and Garver of Little Rock are working on plans for the expansion.

"We're hoping we can use the $23,000 we've spent in work done toward the grant," Burns said. "If we can, we should get the application done and get the $75,000.

"We're wanting to get as much in-kind work from the city we can get. We're not asking Gurdon or Clark County for money, just help."

Burns said the commission will have to seek more corporate sponsorship for the second phase of the expansion program.

"The commission has worked hard to get done what has been done with very little money.

"This is something the city should be proud of," Burns continued. "The airport is not just for hobbyists, it's also for corporate uses. The expansion will mean a better rating and should attract more (planes) to Gurdon."

Burns said there is more timberland in the Gurdon area than in Arkadelphia. A wider, more accessible runway at Lowe Field, therefore, would mean corporate planes could land easier in Gurdon, which will translate into more business for the city.

As the funding becomes available, the airport will have to be closed while the runway is widened and runway lights installed and the drainage pipe put in.