The Morgantown Municipal Airport (MGW) is pleased to invite the community to its first public meeting for its Airport Runway Extension Project on Wednesday, Sept. 16. Following guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the meeting will be held virtually to help ensure the health and safety of Morgantown residents.
In September, bidding will get underway to begin the process for construction of the MGW runway extension. In April, U.S. Senators Shelley Capito (R-W.Va.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) announced that MGW was awarded Federal Aviation Administration grant funds to extend its runway by 1,001 feet. When completed, the runway extension project will provide economic benefits to the local community and improve aviation safety at the airport. The airport has developed a comprehensive plan to keep the community informed and engaged throughout the design and construction stages of this important project.
"As we modernize our facilities and improve safety at the airport, it is important that we are transparent throughout the public engagement process, providing clear and accurate communication to our stakeholders, including businesses, residents and the surrounding communities," said Morgantown Municipal Airport Director Jonathon Vrabel. "We are developing a website and multimedia social media strategies to ensure that information is immediately available to you when you want to know what is happening at the airport."
To ensure public participation, the airport is developing and implementing a community engagement platform to actively communicate with the public, including using public TV, Facebook, Instagram, virtual meetings, website and other efforts. Access to the upcoming virtual meeting will be publicized and shared with the public using MGW digital platforms and other channels by Sept. 4. In addition, stakeholder and steering committees will be formed to address various topics, including noise, land use and potential needs in the community. The runway extension will abide buy the City of Morgantown’s noise ordinances, including quiet time. The community outreach will include tapping key local organizations to ensure effective public engagement and participation.
The tentative project schedule is:
- Virtual Meeting - Sept. 16, 2020
- Bid Advertisement - Sept. 2020
- Bid Opening - Oct. 2020
- Facebook Live Event - Oct. 2020
- City Council Award - Nov. 2020
- Construction Notice to Proceed - Feb. 2021