GMC is honored to have its Runway 10/28 Reconstruction at Macon Downtown Airport (MAC) recognized as the General Aviation Project of the Year by the Georgia Airports Association (GAA) during their annual conference.
The Macon Downtown Airport is a public-use general aviation airport located approximately three miles southeast of Macon’s central business district in Bibb County, Georgia.
In 2013, discussions arose regarding the potential closure MAC due to a variety of challenges. The airport faced numerous runway issues, its operating expenses far exceeded its revenues, along with other concerns, particularly related to the primary runway. The county made the decision to keep the airport open and, in turn, developed a revitalization plan, largely devoted to reconstructing the runway and correcting the line-of-sight issues.
Through preliminary engineering design and analysis of possible rehabilitation alternatives based on existing pavement condition and standard issues, it was determined that the most feasible option was a full runway reconstruction.
The existing runway was in need of a full reconstruction due to the numerous pavement distresses throughout the runway surface, the longitudinal profile not meeting line-of-sight standards and the non-standard transverse cross slope. Without addressing pavement distresses in the near future, the pavement would have continued to deteriorate with increased potential for foreign object debris (FOD) and potential pavement failure.
Once complete, the full runway reconstruction included correcting the longitudinal profile, fixing the line-of-sight issue, correcting the transverse slope and completely restoring the pavement condition. Now the runway meets all current design standards for traverse and longitudinal grades while accounting for a future runway extension.
This was a critical project for the airport as it kept it operational. Given that approximately 200 general aviation airports in the U.S. have closed over the past decade due to operational issues, this was a vital project for the community.
In addition to the Project of the Year award, the team also took home the Jim White Memorial Corporate Member of the Year Award.
Our aviation team was also recently awarded the Corporate Champion Award from The Aviation Council of Alabama (ACA), an honor recognizing a firm that has made outstanding contributions to the aviation industry in the state of Alabama.
Our team takes pride in being proactive, passionate partners in airport development. As the consultant-of-record for more than 20 airports throughout Alabama and Georgia, GMC’s expertise spans every facet of aviation, from commercial and military runways to flight school facilities and helipads. We are proud to lead the way with innovative, sustainable practices that prioritize efficiency, safety and long-term value.
