Major project coming this year to Myrtle Beach International Airport. It’ll cost millions

Myrtle Beach International Airport will have a restored taxiway thanks to a multimillion-dollar grant from the Federal Aviation Administration.

Taxiways are what take airplanes from the terminal to the runway. Typically, an asphalt taxiway will last 20 years. Pavement rehabilitation will start this year on Taxiway A as part of the Horry County Department of Airports’ multiyear, multiphase project to restore its runway system, according to a release.

“This important taxiway project, in addition to the runway rehabilitation, will keep our airport in compliance with FAA standards while preparing MYR for more continued aircraft operational growth in the years to come,” said director of airports Scott Van Moppes in a release.

Kirk Lovell, spokesperson for the airport, said to The Sun News that this phase of the project will take about a year to complete but shouldn’t interfere with flight schedules or the operations of the airport. Due to safety concerns, most of the work will be done at night after the last commercial flight has landed.

In 2015, rehabilitation was completed on the airport’s 9,503-foot runway.

The grant — just over $25 million — will help cover most of the cost for the $30-million project, the release said. The rest of the funding will come from fees and reserve funding. Lovell said that none of the funding will come from public tax dollars.

The new taxiway will be made of asphalt like the current one. A concrete one could last upward of 40 years, but Lovell said the cost to construct it would be much higher.

This story was originally published November 8, 2018 at 6:50 AM.