First phase of the new Monticello Airport nearly complete
by Buckley Jensen
Schmidt Construction of Cedar City has pulled all their heavy equipment off the new Monticello airport site. During the summer, they moved hundreds of thousands of yards of earth. They have created a wide, 6,000-foot runway, aprons, turnarounds, and graded sites for future hangars, terminals and other commercial development.
The only thing left on their $1.29 million contract is the seeding of 94 acres of disturbed areas with grass seed, which is presently ongoing and should be complete in about two weeks.
Next year the runways and connecting roads will be paved. As soon as possible thereafter the hangers, and a small terminal will be constructed.
The total cost of the project is projected at seven million dollars. Nearly all of the funding for the new airport is from the Federal Aviation Agency.
The new airport’s runway will be 1,200 feet longer than the existing Monticello Airport, which will allow small jet aircraft to land and take off safely.