Iowa City contractor expected to get airport runway contract

CEDAR RAPIDS -- The Cedar Rapids Airport Commission on Monday is expected to award a $6.3 million contract to an Iowa City contractor for the reconstruction of a portion of the secondary runway and a taxiway at The Eastern Iowa Airport.

Metro Pavers Inc. submitted the lowest bid of six companies who submitted proposals. The engineer's estimate for the reconstruction project was $7.5 million, enabling the airport to save about $1.2 million.

Other contractors submitting bids were Cedar Valley Corp. of Waterloo ($6.8 million), Hawkins Construction Co. of Omaha, Neb. ($6.5 million), Manatt's Inc. of Brooklyn ($6.7 million), Flynn Company Inc. of Dubuque ($6.6 million) and Streb Contruction Co. of Iowa City ($6.7 million).

Reconstruction of the southern half of the secondary runway at the airport tops the $13.5 million list of proposed capital improvement projects in the $33.9 million budget for the next fiscal year that begins July 1.

The project involves replacing 1,700 feet of the original runway pavement as well as numerous asphalt overlays south of its intersection with the airport's primary runway. The federal government is expected to cover the majority of the cost and the airport's share will be eligible for passenger facility charge funding.

The contract is contingent on the airport receiving funding from the Federal Aviation Administration's Airport Improvement Program.

The $4.2 million reconstruction of the rest of the secondary runway north of the intersection with the primary runway is scheduled for fiscal year 2014. It also will be primarily covered by federal funding, with the local share funded by the passenger facility charge paid by each passenger.

In 2010, Hawkins Construction was awarded the c0ntract for reconstruction of the airport's main runway and its intersection with the secondary runway. The $46.8 million project provided a significant number of construction jobs with area subcontractors.