Runway repairs coming soon

Grant County Port District 7 is seeking bids to make improvements to its runway, taxi area and apron at Grand Coulee Dam Airport.

There was no estimate on what the project would cost and Port District President James Keene said that if the port received an affordable bid the work could be done this fall.

Airport Manager Bob Babler had told district commissioners of the widening cracks in the runway for the past couple of years and, working with the Federal Aviation Administration, it was decided to go out for bid this year.

Cost of the project will be 90-percent paid for by the FAA, 5 percent by the state Department of Transportation Airport Division and 5 percent by the port district.

The amount of the FAA grant is $234,000, and the grant from DOT is for $13,000.

A pre-bid conference will be held at 9 a.m. Aug. 3, at the airport office. Bids must be submitted by 11 a.m., Thursday, Aug. 10, and there will be a public opening and reading of the bids.