Plans taking off for airport in Lollie Bottoms
Soybean fields stretch as far as the eye can see in Lollie Bottoms.
A line of trees curls around the edge, marking the location of the Arkansas River levee.
Only the most forward-looking visionary can imagine that those flat fields will someday be the scene of business jets taking off and landing.
The distance is 7.5 miles southwest from the Faulkner County Courthouse to the end of the proposed new runway, as a Cessna flies. The site is about 3.5 miles south of Dave Ward Drive down Lollie Road.
It's quite a bit farther from the center of Conway than is the current Conway Municipal Airport on Sixth Street, and that's the reason the Federal Aviation Administration is encouraging the city to build a new site for take offs and landings.
"It will come down to an issue of safety," said Ronnie Hall, city engineer.
The current location is fine for small planes, but there is no room to expand the existing runway.
The Lollie Bottoms property is owned by the Conway Development Corporation, and they are also optioning nearby acreage for industrial use.
The new airport will have a 5,000-ft. runway expandable to 7,000 ft., long enough to give the business community immediate access to facilities here, Hall said.
An airport master plan and an environmental assessment project are under way.
The design firm of Huitt-Zollars, Inc. of Dallas is preparing the master plan, and the environmental assessment has been submitted to the FAA.
"The consultant is addressing some comments FAA had in regard to the location and its relation to eagles and varmits," Hall said. "But it appears that all parties have pretty much agreed that the site is doable, but they are still addressing some environmental issues."
After the FAA approves the environmental assessment, there will be a public hearing, and the citizens will have a chance to give input in regard to the issues associated with locating an airport in Lollie Bottoms, Hall said.
That portion of the project should be completed by the end of the year.
Once the master plan is completed, the city will advertise for consulting services to prepare construction plans. It may take a year to get those ready for FAA approval.
Once that occurs, and if the FAA has matching money available, the city will be ready to advertise for bids for construction.
Cost of the new airport has been estimated at $10 million-plus, Hall said.
There are no definite plans for the existing airport, but park enthusiasts are looking at the area between the runway and Sixth Street for a new Old Airport Park.
The area to the south of the east-west runway is planned to be divided into commercial or industrial tracts.
(Staff writer Becky Harris can be reached by e-mail at bharris@thecabin.net or by phone at 505-1236.)