ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Lehigh Valley International Airport’s plan to construct a taxiway and new cargo apron got a positive staff review from the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission’s comprehensive planning committee Tuesday.
The application by the Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority, which oversees the airport, proposes improving the existing runway and associated taxiways.
The runway program is part of the LVIA’s new taxiway project for the proposed North Cargo Area Development Project.Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority
The runway program is part of the LVIA’s new taxiway project for the proposed North Cargo Area Development Project.
Proposed is construction of new Taxiway D and a new cargo apron, with the addition of two new stormwater infiltration beds.
The proposed amendment would create a total of 23.72 acres of new impervious pavement at 3311 Airport Road.
A taxiway is a designated, marked path at an airport that aircraft use to maneuver only on the ground, connecting runways to terminals, gates, hangars.
It is marked with yellow lines and signs, with blue edge lights at night, to guide pilots safely between different areas of the airport.
Elements of the project
Major components of the proposed project are:
- 40-feet-high cargo building
- Aircraft parking apron
- Parallel Taxiway D and connectors
- Access road
- Truck docks
- Employee parking
- Truck staging area
The runway project has been included in the airport’s master plan for some time.
The entirety of the rehabilitation program project would be within the LVIA facility, and the proposed work area constitutes a small area of the overall airport campus.
The proposal now will be forwarded to Hanover Township to continue the land development permitting process, said Ryan Meyer, Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority director of planning and programming.
Should the runway project be approved, it would minimally impact flight schedules, Meyer said.
The contract bid for $14.2 million was awarded Tuesday to James D. Morrissey Paving, according to Colin Riccobon, LNAA director of public relations.
