STARKVILLE — The city of Starkville will soon extend the George M. Bryan Airport runway.
After the board of aldermen approved an option contract, it now has the opportunity to purchase the land directly south of the airport, something Airport Director Rodney Lincoln said the city has been trying to do since 2012.
This land will extend the runway’s length from 5,550 feet to 6,550 feet and ensure that nothing is built in close proximity to the airport, Lincoln said.
“I feel really good because now we can extend our runway 1000 feet,” Lincoln said. “… It’s going to be safer for the aircraft.”
“It’s a long project,” Lincoln said of the amount of time that’s gone into the project. “We’ve been working on getting this for a while.”
The city has 45 days to officially purchase the land, Mayor Lynn Spruill said, assuming all aspects of the negotiation work out properly regarding the land’s title check and Phase 1 environmental report. The board is expected to vote to officially purchase the land at the second regular meeting in January.
The cost of the land is $500,000 with the Federal Aviation Administration funding 95 percent of the purchase price and the city only having to pay $25,000.
With the extension of the runway, more airplanes, especially larger ones, can fly into Starkville, Spruill said, because of lower flying minimums due to additional space.
“You have more flexibility with the type of aircraft that can come in,” Spruill said.
Spruill said the process has been in the works for a while and is glad the current owner was willing to sell the land to the city.
“We’re delighted that the owner has chosen to participate with us and to make this a reality,” Spruill said.
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