Project Introduction
The City of Bridgeport is preparing an Environmental Assessment (EA) to evaluate the potential impacts of Igor I. Sikorsky Memorial Airport's (BDR) proposal to improve the Runway Safety Area (RSA) for Runway 11-29. The EA will evaluate the potential for direct and indirect impacts to the human and natural environment. To ensure BDR continues to meet current and future demand and to comply with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) design standards, the City of Bridgeport is proposing to implement the following improvements (Proposed Action), as recommended in the FAA approved Master Plan. The Sponsor's Proposed Action (Click to Download) is:
- Shift Runway 11-29 to the west
- Install Engineered Materials Arresting Systems on both ends of the runway to meet FAA design standards
- Grade lateral RSA to meet FAA design standards
- Reconstruct portions of existing Runway 11/29
- Remove on and off tree obstructions within the approaches of Runway 11 and 29
What is the Purpose & Need?
The purpose of the project is to provide a runway and associated airfield improvements that comply with FAA design standards while meeting the runway length operational requirements for both the existing and future fleet mix. The need for the project is to address non-standard FAA design criteria and increase safety for aircraft and their passengers by improving the RSA for Runway 11-29 off the ends and along the sides (laterally) of the runway.
What is a Runway Safety Area?
The FAA requires airports provide a Runway Safety Area (RSA) at each runway end and on the sides of each runway to reduce the risk of injury to persons and damage to aircraft in the event of an excursion from the runway. An excursion from the runway can be when an arriving aircraft fails to stop before the end of the runway or an aborted takeoff (overrun), when an aircraft arriving on a runway touches down before the start of the paved runway surface (undershoot), or a veer-off to one side of a runway. The FAA requires that airports improve their RSAs to FAA design standards where possible. RSAs are safety improvements and do not extend the length of runways or have any effect on normal runway operations, runway capacity, or the types of aircraft that can use the runways. FAA standards, as defined in Advisory Circular (AC) 150/5300-13A detail RSA design requirements as:
- Cleared and graded with no potentially hazardous ruts, humps, depressions, or other surface variations.
- Drained by grading or storm sewers to prevent water accumulation.
- Capable under dry conditions of supporting snow removal equipment, aircraft rescue firefighting equipment, and the occasional passage of aircraft without causing significant damage to the aircraft; and,
- Free of objects, except for objects that need to be in the RSA because of their function.