Airport plans brief detour for equipment change

Visitors to The Eastern Iowa Airport between midnight and 3:30 a.m. Monday and Thursday will need to use a different entrance to allow for installation of new terminal heating, ventilation and air-conditioning units.

Signs will direct motorists to 18th Street where there will be an entrance to the airport's terminal drive, long-term and short-term parking lots.

The $500,000 heating, ventilation and air-conditioning project replaces older equipment with a new, more efficient system that is part of the airport's ongoing green initiatives. An 85-foot crane will be used to install the new cooling units on the terminal roof.

Sara Mau, airport operations director, said extensive planning was done to ensure minimal disruption for the airport's customers.

“We wanted to find a way to have the least impact on the airport's overall operation,” Mau said. “All the work will be done overnight, after the final flight arrival and departure.”

In addition to the entrance detour, the restrooms in the terminal's main lobby will be closed during the installation work.