The Alaska Department
of Transportation and Public Facilities (ADOT&PF), in cooperation with
the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is proposing runway and apron improvements
at Golovin Airport. The project consists of resurfacing and widening the runway
and taxiway, resurfacing the apron, and rehabilitating the lighting system,
as well as completing other minor improvements as funding allows. Construction
is planned for Summer 2006.
Golovin is located at the mouth of Golovnin Lagoon, where it meets Golovnin Bay, which is approximately 70 air miles east of Nome and approximately 470 miles northwest of Anchorage. The village lies on the southern edge of the Seward Peninsula, north of Norton Sound. The community is located at approximately 64.54° North Latitude and 163.03° West Longitude (Sections 10, 11 and 15, T011S, R022W, Kateel River Meridian.) (USGS Quadrangle Solomon C-3) (Refer to Figure 1).
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Existing Condition
Golovin is accessible by barge and boat during non-winter months. There are
no roads linking the community to other population centers, however, ice roads
or winter trails are used by snowmobiles for part of the year. Air transport
is the only viable method of moving goods and people to and from the community
year-round. Golovin is serviced by a number of air taxi operations that transport
freight and passengers from other airports in the region, primarily Nome.
The existing facility includes a single gravel runway (Runway 2-20), 4,000' x 75' wide, with a 4,600' x 150' runway safety area. The airport also includes a 452' x 35' taxiway connecting to a 200' x 400' aircraft apron. A non-aircraft parking and loading area is situated adjacent to the apron, which houses the snow removal equipment building.
Deficiencies of the Golovin Airport include the following:
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The runway and runway safety area width does not meet FAA standards. |
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The runway wind coverage is 91.8%, which does not meet the FAA standard of 95%. |
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The runway gravel surface is in need of repair. |
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A larger aircraft parking apron is needed to accommodate the current fleet that uses this airport. |
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The taxiway is not sufficient for the planes using the apron and will need to be expanded from 35 feet to 50 feet. |
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The lighting system has surpassed its useful life, and needs to be replaced. |
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Dust suppression is needed to reduce the amount of dust that results from aircraft operations. |
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The snow removal equipment building's dirt floor will need to be replaced with a concrete floor. |
| Proposed
Action The proposed improvements consist of the following (refer to Figure 2): |
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Widen Runway 2-20 from 75 to 100 feet, on its existing embankment. |
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Widen the taxiway safety area from 94 feet to 120 feet. |
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Resurface the runway, taxiway, and apron with gravel coarse. |
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Replace the existing airport lighting system, with new Medium Intensity Runway Lighting. |
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Apply dust palliative to runway and apron. |
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Replace
the snow removal equipment building's dirt floor with a concrete floor. |
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Embankment material
would probably be obtained from the material site adjacent to the runway
(refer to Figure 2). Additional gravel fill for surfacing the runway,
taxiway, and apron would need to be barged in. One likely source for
this material is the Cape Nome material site. However, coarse material
will ultimately be supplied by the Contractor, and any material source
chosen by the Contractor, if different from the site(s) permitted, will
be permitted accordingly prior to excavation. Imported material would
be offloaded at the existing barge site in town, and hauled overland
by road to the airport. The existing roads would not need to be upgraded
for this project. DOWL Engineers, under contract to ADOT&PF, is performing a wetland delineation and a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment of the airport area. These studies were initiated in Summer 2005. |
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Preliminary Research
Results
For preliminary research results of environmental resources in the project
area, see Appendix A.
In addition to identifying any concerns and/or issues your agency might have with the proposed project, the links below identify agency specific information that is requested. Please click on the organization that you represent. This will take you to a list of questions specific to your purview and a link that allows you to provide comments directly to our environmental consultant, via e-mail.
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Appendix A |
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Figure 1 - Location/Vicinity Map |
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Figure 2 - Proposed Improvements and Material Site |
