Today, Memphis International Airport and U.S. Representative Steve Cohen (Tennessee’s 9th Congressional District) announced the awarding of a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grant for $31.8 million to be used for runway safety, pavement and security projects at Memphis International Airport.
The FAA Airport Improvement Program (AIP) grant will help pay for installation of Engineered Material Arresting Systems (EMAS) at the south end of Runway 18R/36L. EMAS uses crushable concrete placed at the end of a runway to stop an aircraft that overruns the runway. The system improves safety when land is not available to create standard-sized runway safety areas. The runway safety area work is expected to begin in March 2013 and take four months to complete.
In addition, the grant will be used toward a five-phase, $90-million project to reconstruct the concrete, aircraft-parking ramp that surrounds passenger terminal concourses A, B and C. The full project includes the demolition and removal of approximately 350,000 square yards of concrete and base material that is 40-50 years old and must be replaced, having served its useful life.
