Airport project advances to bid

The New Rockford City Commission has taken the next step towards a project that would revitalize the city’s airport, Tomlinson Field.

The airport was severely damaged during a 2018 wind storm, and in the years since has become overgrown and inadequate for air traffic.

At least that was the conclusion of the North Dakota Aeronautics Commission (NDAC) – a government body tasked with supporting and ensuring the safety of aviation activities in the state.

The NDAC conducted an inspection of Tomlinson Field in June of 2023 and recommended a full “reclamation" of the runway and taxiway.

Plans were unveiled soon after to do just that, and address numerous other problems identified by the inspection report, such as tall crops located inside the runway protection zone, hazardous pavement damage, exposed foundation and an inadequate lighting system, just to name a few.

And now, several months later, the city is officially soliciting bids for the project.

The decision was made during a special meeting of the New Rockford City Commission on Tuesday, March 12, after they’d received numerous letters of support for the project and assurances from residents interested in building a hangar if the runway and taxiway are rehabilitated.

The city’s official advertisement for bids states that the project will consist of “Runway full depth reclamation with hot bituminous paving, runway safety area regrading, north taxiway rehabilitation, south taxiway rehabilitation, and apron/access road re-construction.”

Not addressed would be the airport's hangar, which was blown away in that infamous 2018 wind storm.

Previous plans to revitalize the airport that included building a new hangar have met resistance, so this plan would instead allow anyone wishing to utilize Tomlinson Field to enter into a lease agreement with the city and construct their own hangar, similar to how other nearby airports are operated.

The Eddy County Commission, having also heard from residents and individuals with land in Eddy County who’d be interested in building their own hangar, have provided a letter of commitment to the city stating their support for the project.

As for the project’s cost, that’s what the bid letting process will determine.

A preliminary estimate prepared by Interstate Engineering last summer totaled nearly $2.2 million, a price tag that local officials were determined to bring down.

No matter the cost, the aeronautics commission’s support for the project could go a long way towards mitigating the cost, according to Commission President Stu Richter.

NDAC officials had indicated to Richter last summer that they could cover up to 70 percent of the project’s overall cost, and they are expected to make a final determination about funding after a bid is accepted.

The remaining cost would then be split between the county and city, but exactly how much they’ll have to cover between them will depend on the level of funding the NDAC ultimately provides, along with the bid price.

Bids for the project can be submitted until 2 p.m. on Thursday, April 18, at which time all submitted bids will be opened and read aloud.

The full advertisement for bids can be found on page 11.