AIRLINE: I learned once either here on this board or elsewhere, that a runway is about 4'-6' feet thick. Is this new runway for the larger jets? How long will it be? I'm guessing it might be over 8000 feet? Mike Burris Cambridge, Mass --- Blaine Thompson <blainethompson@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: > This message was sent to you by > blainethompson@xxxxxxxxxxx, > as a service of The Seattle Times > (http://www.seattletimes.com). > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Cost of third runway could top $1 billion > Full story: > http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/135065110_runway24m0.html > > By Susan Gilmore > Seattle Times staff reporter > > > > A Port of Seattle commissioner and runway opponents > say they expect the new estimated cost of the > proposed third runway at Seattle-Tacoma > International Airport to be more than $1 billion, > double the estimate of eight years ago. > > New estimates are being presented today to > commissioners of the Port, which operates the > airport. > > "I'm not going to be surprised if it comes in over > $1 billion," said Port Commissioner Bob Edwards, who > hadn't seen the new estimate. > > Edwards said he expected the costs to rise > substantially from earlier estimates because of > permit requirements for such matters as additional > storm-water-retention areas. > > "The things we are required to do now are bigger > than what they were before," he said. "This > (estimate) is closer to what we are actually > building." > > Stuart Creighton, chairman of the Airport > Communities Coalition, which is fighting the new > runway, said, "It's nothing new to us." > > "We've been saying for years that this runway would > cost in excess of a billion dollars," he said. "We > have always said that the budget for this project > was much higher than airport officials have > admitted." > > Cost to build the new runway, which would parallel > the two existing runways, was estimated at $430 > million in 1995. Five years ago the projected cost > grew to $773 million. > > Airport officials would not say what the new numbers > would be, except to acknowledge that delays and > lawsuits have increased the costs. > > "There's been no secret about the amount of > litigation and the amount of delay," said Bob > Parker, Port spokesman. > > Two lawsuits involving the runway are pending. One, > in the state Supreme Court, is an appeal by the Port > and the Department of Ecology over permit conditions > set by the state Pollution Control Hearings Board. > > In 2001, the board put a hold on a key state permit > that would allow the port to fill 18 acres of > wetlands to make way for the new runway. The Ecology > Department had given the Port permission to fill the > wetlands and build the third runway on top, but > opponents argued that would pollute creeks and harm > fish. > > The hearings board gave the airport permission to > build the runway, but it set 16 conditions including > the testing of fill dirt that airport officials said > would make it nearly impossible to find enough clean > dirt to build the runway. > > The Legislature in April passed a bill that would > allow the Port to use a different form of testing > that would make it easier to find dirt to use in > construction. Runway opponents say the hearing > board's requirements would better protect the > environment. > > The Port and Ecology Department are asking the > Supreme Court to rule that the board did not have > the authority to review the permit and impose > conditions, Creighton said. > > "We like the conditions and we're saying we agree > with the state that the Pollution Control Hearings > Board ... decision is valid," he said. > > A hearing on the lawsuit is expected this fall. > > The second lawsuit is in federal court and is > scheduled for a hearing in late July. Opponents > appealed permits issued by the Army Corps of > Engineers, arguing the agency did not follow federal > regulations in issuing a wetlands permit for the > runway. > > The port says it needs a new 8,500-foot runway to > handle traffic at Sea-Tac, particularly during bad > weather. > > But Creighton said studies show the airport has > less than 1 percent traffic delays. > > Susan Gilmore: 206-464-2054 or > sgilmore@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx J. Martin McOmber, Times > business reporter, contributed to this report. > > > > > > > ========================== ADVERTISEMENT > ============================= > > If you can do it, watch it, eat it, buy it, or live > it > in the Pacific Northwest, you'll find it at > NWsource.com > > ====================================================================== > > TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE SEATTLE TIMES PRINT EDITION > Call (206) 464-2121 or 1-800-542-0820, or go to > https://read.nwsource.com/subscribe/times/ > > HOW TO ADVERTISE WITH THE SEATTLE TIMES COMPANY > ONLINE > For information on advertising in this e-mail > newsletter, > or other online marketing platforms with The Seattle > Times Company, > call (206) 464-2361 or e-mail > websales@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx > > TO ADVERTISE IN THE SEATTLE TIMES PRINT EDITION > Please go to > http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/contactus/adsales > for information. > > ====================================================================== > For news updates throughout the day, visit > http://www.seattletimes.com > ====================================================================== > > Copyright (c) 2003 The Seattle Times > Company > > www.seattletimes.com > Your Life. 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