Red Deer Regional Airport’s ambitious expansion and upgrading plan has taken another step forward.
On Tuesday, Red Deer County council approved a $4.4 million under-budget tender for the first of a two-phase project to extend Airport Drive to Township Road 374 to provide a link to C&E Trail and a second access to the Springbrook airport. Five companies bid on the project with bids ranging from Red Deer County-based Carbon Earthworks Ltd.’s winning $4.4 million bid up to just under $7.3 million.
Construction on the project to widen and improve the section of Airport Drive, including burying power lines, between the fire hall and 25th Street will begin this spring and is expected to be done by mid-September.
“This will really give the public something to look at and will go a long way to cleaning up the airport itself,” said airport CEO Graham Ingham.
“It’s always been about infrastructure for us. It’s nice to see it all coming together now,” said Ingham. “This is going to be good, not only for the airport, but also for the community as well.”
County Mayor Jim Wood said the road project is an important part of the vision for the airport, which he believes could become a regional economic driver.
“The airport itself can’t continue to expand without the road being there and all of the other improvements that are necessary,” he said.
“Today is a huge milestone, actually to be able to see that first phase of this road being tendered out today.”
A larger second phase is expected to be tendered later this month. Work will likely begin later this year and be completed in late 2025 or early 2026.
“This is an extremely important project,” said Wood during the council meeting. “I’m excited to see we’ve got to this point. I’m looking forward to how it changes our region.”
Coun. Christine Moore also welcomed the latest progress.
“It’s good that (the cost) is coming in under what was predicted. Even better, the province is funding it.”
Meanwhile, a project to expand the terminal is well underway and expected to be finished by the end of July. The project is seen as critical to luring scheduled passenger service back to Central Alberta.
The $3.5 million project will see the airport add a 10,000-square-foot addition with space for security, baggage pick-up area, future customs area and space to handle the 189 passengers from a full 737-800.
The terminal upgrade is the second phase of the airport’s ambitious plan to create a transportation hub with passenger service and to turn 200 acres of airside land into a centre for aviation-related industries from manufacturing and maintenance to cargo and flight training.
First phase work included widening the runway to allow for 737-sized passenger jets to land. An apron and taxiway were also refurbished.
The airport got a $30 million boost from the provincial government in its April budget.
Over the next two years, the provincial funding will be spent providing services, including fibre optic links to the land next to the airport as well as connecting Airport Drive with an upgraded Township Road 374 linking with C&E Trail to the north to provide a second access.
The total cost is expected to be around $18 million and will come entirely out of the provincial cash.
