Sully-Miller Contracting Co. In phase II of General William J. Fox Airfield runway pavement rehabilitation project By Brian Hoover, CMS
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eneral William J. Fox Airfield was constructed in 1959 by the county of Los Angeles and is available to general aviation aircraft 24-hours a day, seven days a week. Home to more than 200 based aircraft, this conveniently located airfield also includes several aviation-related businesses and the quaint and popular Foxy's Landing & Restaurant. Additionally, the airport contains an aviation museum and serves as the home base for the U.S. Department of Forestry's local air tanker units. Located in the City of Lancaster, the airport is still owned and operated by the county of Los Angeles. The full-featured airport boasts an air traffic control tower that supports a wide range of fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft ranging from small single-engine propeller planes to larger turboprop and even jet aircraft. General William J. Fox Airfield requires rehabilitation, particularly on Runway 6-24, where the pavement is severely degraded
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and no longer feasible to maintain. A complete reconstruction of Runway 6-24 was required and scheduled to meet the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the county of Los Angeles Airport Pavement Maintenance Program guidelines and standards. The $15.5 million project was awarded to Sully-Miller Contracting Co. (Sully-Miller), who began the first phase of the project in April 2020. The contract includes all costs for design, inspection, administration, engineering, topographic surveying, material testing, and a change order allowance. Construction costs of $14.5 million were funded with a $12.8 million FAA Airport Improvement Program (AIP) grant, with additional funds provided by a Caltrans CAAP AIP grant and the Public Works' Aviation Enterprise Fund. Sully-Miller's portion of the contract was approximately $10.2 million. As the prime contractor, Sully-Miller Contracting Co. (SullyMiller) will completely reconstruct Runway 6-24 and associated
taxiway connectors. This includes the realignment of three taxiways to meet current FAA design standards, with the Fox Airfield runway being shortened to 3,000 feet to aid in the reconstruction of Runway 6-24. It also includes the installation of reinforced concrete pipe and drainage inlets, striping pavement markings and signing, electrical lighting and other miscellaneous work. Each phase of the construction process was designed to keep the opposite end of the runway available for normal operations. In all, approximately 32 acres of the airport runway and taxiway connectors will be reconstructed and completed by the end of the year. Sully-Miller is currently in the second and final phase of construction, where they are utilizing FAA specified P-401 asphalt concrete along with reclaimed AC pavement on a P-154 subbase course. Vince Bommarito is the area manager for Sully-Miller/Blue Diamond overseeing the Fox Airfield project
California Asphalt Magazine • 2020 Quality Issue
