Grand Canyon West Airport has been an Armstrong client since 2009. Since then, we have completed numerous AIP projects, a few of which are outlined below.
FAA Identifier: 1G4
Airport Activation Date: October 1988
Elevation: 4816.7 ft
Physical Address: 5001 Diamond Bar Rd. | Peach Springs, AZ 86434
Grand Canyon West Airport serves as a key access point to the tourist activities based along the West Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. Serving both fixed wing and helicopter tour operators, the airport experienced a surge in passenger enplanements largely tied to growth in Las Vegas. As a result, the existing passenger terminal building began to experience significant constraints and a reduced level of service for its passengers. Armstrong prepared a study to focus on this service area and provide practical recommendations for expansion to enhance the passenger experience.
The Analysis first developed a passenger demand forecast based largely on regional tourism trends for Las Vegas and Arizona and then utilized a phased approach to construct an expanded passenger terminal building to accommodate existing and future needs. Due to the high demand experienced in recent history and likely high passenger growth, extensive coordination was required with the FAA’s Western Pacific Regional Office for forecast approval. By utilizing a phased approach to construction and expansion, this protects for future development but allows for the layout to be scaled back and right-sized for actual activity over the 20-year planning period.
Today, this document is serving as the justification for the environmental analysis needed to clear the terminal building’s construction and expansion.
Armstrong’s airport planning team is providing support for the acquisition of approximately 2.25 acres of land adjacent to the airport property. The project consists of the legal transfer of property from Tribal land to the airport. Our team has completed an environmental review, in which we determined that the land transfer would have little effect on the natural environment in the area.
In order to accommodate increasing vehicle traffic and constrained vehicle parking facilities at the Grand Canyon West Airport terminal, a new 13,000 s.f. ground vehicle and visitor terminal (Welcome Center) and 31 acre offsite vehicle and motor coach parking facility was planned and designed by Armstrong Consultants. The design included substantial improvements to the primary access road, including new acceleration, deceleration, and turn lanes, a roundabout to enhance circulation, a security kiosk access control, and multiple intersection improvements.
A portion of the main roadway was reconfigured at the Welcome Center to direct visitors to the appropriate parking areas. This roadway design included separating motor coach buses/RVs from passenger vehicles into independent lanes. The coach buses use a slip lane around a roundabout on the way to the bus parking and the passenger vehicles drive through the roundabout to a new turn lane for the vehicle parking. Both the bus and vehicle traffic utilize the roundabout to exit the site. The road improvements also include areas for future security kiosks for the control of traffic and additional area reserved for future expansion.
There were also intersection improvements completed for the Quartermaster Post Road turnoff. The existing intersection was similar to a driveway entrance with a severe grade change at the crossroad connection. The new intersection was designed to accommodate coach buses with larger turning radii, a smooth grade change across the intersection, and turn lanes in and out of the intersection. Design challenges included grading and drainage, shallow limestone bedrock conditions, vehicle and pedestrian segregation and circulation, and budget limitations.
The ultimate design and construction included:
The Grand Canyon West Airport Phase V consisted of four schedules containing unique defined tasks.
Schedule I required the paving of Runway 17/35, connecting Taxiway A1 and portions of connecting Taxiways A2, A3, and A4.
Schedule II involved the installation of lighting and NAVAIDs for Runway 17/35 and connecting taxiways.
Schedule III included the conversion of the temporary runway to a parallel taxiway, extending the east edge of the aircraft apron, and the construction of helicopter landing pads and taxiway hold bays.
Schedule IV required the cleanup and re-grading of the project stockpiles composed of earth and rock.
The project was the final phase of a $43 million, multi-year, multi-phase process to construct the airport. Phase V included two sub-phases and four work zones to keep the airport operational throughout the construction period. The project started with the use of a temporary runway on the parallel taxiway while Runway 17/35 was being constructed, marked, and lighted. The second sub-phase included the conversion of the temporary runway into a parallel taxiway using rolling closures of three work zones to keep access to the air carrier apron open. Coordination among construction staff, the contractor, and airport operations were needed daily to bring the project to successful completion without the airport having to cancel a single flight.
This project included installing buried wildlife deterrent fence skirting along the existing outer chain-link security perimeter fence of the airport. The buried skirting consists of 5-foot wide chain-link fence fabric connected to the bottom of the existing chain-link fencing and buried to a maximum depth of 1 foot. Several different installation methods were required due to the shallow bedrock present along much of the perimeter fence. Work also included the installation of protection under airport perimeter fence gates. The gate protection consisted of an 18-inch-wide, ¼ inch thick sheet metal band buried and installed vertically across the gate openings.
Armstrong’s Arizona office completed a drainage study. Our engineers calculated storm runoff rates and other key measures to support the design of storm drain culverts and ditches. A design solution was created to reduce ponding On the runway, operations, and terminal areas. The design involved the installation of a box culvert, an underdrain, and an additional drop inlet in these locations.
The drainage improvements at the Grand Canyon West Airport included a new 24 inch storm drain installation, an underdrain system to prevent groundwater from impacting the airfield, infield cleanup of rocks and weeds including the application of herbicides, and an installation of an 800’ long 5’x3’ precast concrete box culvert and a 1,800’ long concrete channel system to alleviate ponding and transporting storm runoff off airport property. Due to the proximity to the canyon, rock was encountered throughout the improvement areas and blasting operations took place. Because of similar projects we’ve had near the canyon, this was anticipated during the design and included in the bid proposal. We fully coordinated with the contractor, blasting technician and airport to ensure the airport would remain in operation during work hours. To ensure the runway and helicopter operation areas were open throughout construction, the project included night work when needed. The contract value for the project is $1,541,784. The project has gone very smoothly and is anticipated to slightly over-run due to a higher volume of rock than anticipated in the geotechnical investigation.
This project included the design and construction of a new four bay building with office space for storing the ARFF equipment and vehicles as well as living and operations space for the firefighters. A maintenance bay was also included to provide maintenance support for the ARFF vehicles as well as the other vehicles and equipment at the airport. A mezzanine was included in the design to provide for additional storage space and future offices. Armstrong was successful in maximizing the eligible space for FAA funding while still providing the structural needs for future expansion by the Owner. The building was also equipped with a remote dispatch control system that operates the automatic gates at the airport perimeter fence and the automatic bay doors so that one button controls both operations. This system is also tied to the alarm system so that one button can control all the necessary function that allows a firefighters to quickly get to the airfield.
The project also included an access road to the building as well as a concrete vehicle maneuvering apron around the building. As the airport is located in a remote part of Arizona, there is no running water or power available at the building location, as such, the project included a generator system to power the building, a water storage tank for water needs, and a sanitary tank for waste.
The project was completed without any operational impacts to the airport during construction.
