Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission approves airport grants
by Journal Record, Staff Report
3/24/2010

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK -- Members of the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission have
approved grants for capital improvement projects at Shawnee Municipal
Airport and Eaker Field in Durant.

The commission approved a maximum $275,000 grant for the city of Shawnee to
construct a new, 4,000-square-foot terminal building at the airport. The
new building will replace the existing terminal that was built in 1953 and
which has been showing signs of deterioration.

State aviation officials said the total cost of the new terminal building
was originally estimated at $550,000 with the city contributing half of the
cost. The city has since garnered an additional $415,645 from other
sources, including a federal economic development grant bringing the total
cost for the new terminal to $965,645. The additional money allowed the
city to build a larger terminal building.

The airport had been operating from the old terminal for 57 years and it
needed to be replaced, said Brian McDougal, Shawnee city manager.

Shawnee Municipal Airport has a 5,600-foot runway, which is long enough to
accommodate most jet aircraft. The airport averages about 5,000 takeoffs
and landings annually.

Commissioners also approved a $57,000 grant to the city of Durant for
projects at Eaker Field involving completion of the second and final phase
to realign the parallel taxiway system, improve the runway safety area and
relocate the runway lights. The total cost of the projects is $2.3 million,
which will be paid for by a combination of local, state and federal funds,
including $2.2 million from the Federal Aviation Administration.

Commission officials said taxiway pavements at Eaker Field were built in
1943 and have deteriorated substantially over the years.

Several businesses regularly use Eaker Field, including Big Lots, Cardinal
Glass, Sundowner Trailers and the Choctaw Casino.