Lawton-Fort Sill Regional Airport’s access road add to priority repair list

The access road to Lawton-Fort Sill Regional Airport is now a priority for repairs, but city officials don’t know exactly when that work will be done.

City Council members unanimously signed off on a recommendation made by their Streets and Bridges Committee: put priority status on mill and overlay work for King Road, the entrance and exit point from South 11th Street to the airport and its terminal. The committee was reacting to a request from committee member/Ward 5 Councilman Allan Hampton, who said the severely deteriorated road needs immediate repairs, particularly in front of the terminal. Hampton, the council’s representative on the airport’s governing board, said that work is especially important given the fact a major component of an airport terminal modernization project — a new secured passenger holding area — is slated for completion by April.

Ward 4 Councilman George Gill, who chairs the committee, said members want priority given to the road. The original recommendation had been to give city staff permission to begin seeking bids to identify a contractor for that work, but Tuesday’s action stopped short of moving into the construction phase. Gill said the city isn’t able to go out for bids right now, but the project still needs to be a priority.

The committee’s original recommendation had been to use savings from the original mill and overlay list under way, and apply that $700,000 toward the King Road project that would be bid with three options: a base bid concentrated on the road in front of the terminal (the most severely damaged area); alternate 1, which would extend the work to the parking lot entrances; and alternate 2, which would complete the entire road to South 11th Street. Officials did not say why that option wouldn’t be immediately followed, but also indicated significant work is needed on the road closest to the terminal.

“It’s listed as a priority,” Gill said, adding the city would not go out for bids “at this time.”

City officials did clarify King Road had been listed on the 41-item “On Target, On Time” mill and overlay list, but was one of the projects that wouldn’t be funded until the 2024-2025 fiscal year that begins July 1. Funding was designated this fiscal year for mill and overlay of 10 roads, and Ellsworth Construction won a $1.55 million contract for that work late last year. Work has begun on the fourth of those Top 10 priorities, city officials said.