Horry County airport board talks fuel farms

The general public can’t see them, but they’re there.

There are two fuel farms behind the aircraft rescue and firefighting facility at Myrtle Beach International Airport, and they hold approximately 158,000 gallons of jet fuel, said Ken Hawk, with the Horry County Department of Airports.

Over the next few months, one of those farms will undergo renovations.

Hawk told the members of the Horry County Airport Advisory Board at Wednesday’s meeting that one of the pumping systems is going to be changed, and an 8,000-gallon tank will be replaced by a 20,000-gallon one.

Bids are being taken on the work, Hawk added. He estimated the work would cost $400,000, and the hope is to have it finished before the start of the 2012 summer season.

The airlines purchase the fuel they plan to use, while Myrtle Beach Airport officials place the orders.

Terminal project status

The board also got the latest construction update on the terminal expansion project.

Mike Illes, construction manager for the department of airports, said steel beams have been erected for two-thirds of the new concourse.

The new toll plaza is about 80 percent complete, and the new rental car lot should be finished by April 1, he added.

As far as remodeling work in the existing terminal, Illes said it’s been scrapped because the contractors wouldn’t be able to meet pre-set deadlines.

The work will resume once the new terminal is open.

Lauren Morris, marketing director, said the goal was to have the renovations done by the time the busy travel season resumes in the summer. However, if the deadline wasn’t going to be met, the airport didn’t want to affect operations any more than they already have been by the expansion.

The $118 million project is going to expand the airport from seven to 13 gates. Passengers will start using the extended facility in January 2013.

As for the Harrelson Boulevard extension, Illes confirmed the grand opening would be Jan. 23.

“Harrelson’s looking good,” he said. “It’s going to be a nice road to drive on.”

The extension connects Harrelson Boulevard to Kings Highway, and is a vital component of the airport’s expansion.