By Babette André, AOPA Airport Support Network Volunteer
Runway 29R-11L at Rocky Mountain Metro Airport (BJC) in Colorado reopens the first week in July after a $9- million project that reconstructed the entire 9,000-foot surface, upgraded lighting and signage and increased runway bearing capacity from 75,000 pounds to 100,000 pounds.
A runway safety area was installed on the west end of 29R to accommodate overshoots into the golf course and residential area. This brings the airport up to runway design standards.
In October, the runway numbers will be changed from 11L-29R to 12L and 30R to reflect realignment with magnetic directions.
According to the Aviation Director’s Office, “Along with the runway overlay project, we are bringing our airfield signage up to date with the current FAA regulations. The signage update will change several of the existing connectors’ names. Taxiway A will remain Taxiway A along with all of the connectors exiting Runway 11L/29R to the north. However, all connectors from the ramp onto Taxiway A will be re-identified as “R”. This will change the number of Taxiway A connectors that we currently have from 17 to seven. The current “E” run-up area on the east end of Taxiway D will become D-1, changing all of the existing “D” numbering to the west. “C” will no longer be a taxiway designator off of Taxiway A.
“Unfortunately, due to the release cycles of the AFD, the updated Airfield Diagram does not accurately represent the current layout of the field,” airport officials continued. “Due to the timing of the project and the available release cycles, we updated the diagram a month early of the actual change date. We have included local verbiage on the ATIS to help notify pilots of this discrepancy. While working with the NOTAM office, we determined that in order to issue a NOTAM for the discrepancy, it would require 23 NOTAMs in addition to the number of NOTAMs we are currently running. Therefore, we will not issue NOTAMs for the discrepancy.
Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport is owned and operated by Jefferson County, Colorado. The airport is a self-sustaining department and does not receive any tax revenue, nor is airport revenue used for county purposes.
According to county records, its economic impact counting jobs, payroll, output and assorted multiplier effects total more than $382 million. Its economic contribution to the communities it serves is $460 million in output and 2,670 jobs with an annual payroll of $153.9 million.