The Greeley-Weld County Airport, about three miles east of Greeley, will get a new taxi lane, taxiways, public access and internal access road, Weld County officials said on Oct. 28.
“Given the growth we’re experiencing and what’s anticipated in the coming years, it only makes sense to provide these enhancements,” said Kevin Ross, Weld County Commissioner Chairman. “Our airport will be better equipped to deal with transportation needs not only in the county but regionally as well, which is exciting.”
The Weld County Board of Commissioners approved an intergovernmental agreement between Weld County, the City of Greeley, and the Greeley-Weld County Airport Authority Board after discussing earlier this year what the airport expects to need to meet demands due to the growth of air traffic and larger planes landing at the airport.
According to officials, Weld County and the City of Greeley will contribute up to $5 million each to improving airport infrastructure. The funding includes designing and constructing the additional taxiway and lane. The airport also plans to build future hangers on the east side of the airport.
Also, a public access road called Wing Way is in the plans for design and construction. This road to the airport will run from Weld County 47 westbound to the airport perimeter before turning northbound and connecting to Weld County Road 66.
Contractors Bolton & Menk have been hired to design “Wing Way,” the internal access road, and Garver Engineering is designing the taxiway and lane.
Paul Anslow, Aviation Strategic Business Development Director for Bolton & Menk, will be the project manager. According to his LinkedIn profile, Anslow is the former director at the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport in Superior, Colorado, who resigned in Nov. 2023.
Later phases and history
According to officials, the next phase would involve constructing an internal access road connecting airport security and credentialed patrons to hangars.
The intergovernmental agreement is the first in its airport history and the first funding contribution by Weld County and the City of Greeley since 1978. That’s when the Greeley-Weld Authority board agreed to build the airport along with representatives selected from the City of Greeley and Weld County.
“Outside of some accounting services and the donation of a vehicle in the 1980s, in 46 years, there have been no big contributions to the airport,” said Bruce Barker, Weld County Attorney. “This is a first for the county and the city.”
Construction of the improvements is scheduled to begin in the spring of 2025, with a projection of completion by August 2025.
Once the project designs are complete, each company will select a contractor to complete construction.