Plans are in the pipeline for the construction of a new St. Louis downtown airport ground engine run-up pad in Illinois.
St. Louis downtown airport sits on 1,000 acres site in Cahokia Heights and Sauget. The site is across the Mississippi River from downtown St. Louis. The airport is the busiest general aviation airport in Illinois outside of Chicago. Recently it was selected as the 2020 Reliever Airport of the Year.
The pad will reportedly help aircraft repair providers and support high-tech aerospace manufacturing jobs that are now being built.
An overview of St. Louis downtown airport ground engine run-up pad
The project comprises new airfield pavement with jet blast deflectors. This is in order to conduct airplane maintenance tests that call for the operating of an engine at high power. The tests happen on the ground for several minutes while producing higher noise levels.
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Currently, the tenants for aviation maintenance perform more than 500 high-power engine run-up tests annually. Given the potent engines of today’s modern aircraft, they have stated that the current locations for such tests are no longer adequate. When operating at full throttle can cause blast damage more than 1,600 feet distant
St. Louis downtown airport ground engine run-up pad will be segregated from airport operations and situated 1,850 feet away from other parked aircraft. The space can handle the largest aircraft at the airport and will significantly minimize aircraft engine run-up noise.
Funding, contractor, and expectations for the project
Through the $45 billion Rebuild Illinois Capital Infrastructure Plan, which Governor J.B. Pritzker signed into law in 2019, the airport received $5 million in state funds. The $5 million IDOT grant was used to offset the $5.4 million cost of the project, which was contracted to Baxmeyer Construction of Waterloo, Illinois.
Upon completion, in less than a year, the St. Louis downtown airport ground engine run-up pad will help aircraft repair providers and support high-tech aerospace manufacturing jobs that are now being built.
Moreover, it will promote airport businesses, and increase product efficiency, dependability, and safety. Furthermore, it will make Southwestern Illinois and the State of Illinois more competitive internationally.
