Lawrence Municipal Airport was originally built in 1967, but the series of renovations that give the small regional facility its up-to-date look began with the construction of the current terminal building in 1986.
Recent upgrades, like last year's $1.9 million improvements, added 13,000 square yards of tarmac to the airport's apron, allowing support for dual-wheel aircraft, weighing up to 60,000 pounds.
In 2002, another $1.9 million will be spent to lengthen the runway from its current 5,000 feet to 5,700 feet, allowing for an increased margin of comfort for pilots and the ability for planes as large as a Boeing 707 to use the facility.
In addition to the increased length, 32 additional acres will be acquired and added to the safety zone at the end of the runway. Future plans for the airport include the addition of increased hangar space.
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According to Operations Manager Lloyd Hetrick, who has run the facility since 1983, the Federal Aviation Administration says the airport serves, on average, more than 30 planes a day. He notes that the busiest days are Kansas University game days, especially for daytime football games, and that after one NASCAR event at Kansas Speedway, the new racetrack promises to be a traffic booster for the airport.
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