Photo by Sue Watson
Airport director Justin Hall inspects repairs to the runway in advance of a final layer of asphalt.
Airport runway under repair
The Marshall County Airport Committee has a $935,303 project underway to repair cracks and correct surface issues in the runway and then put on a fresh layer of asphalt, thanks to an FAA grant.
Runway repair was recently completed and overlay has been postponed until spring. The airport is open for traffic.
Both the city and county benefit from the continued upgrading of the Holly Springs-Marshall County Airport to keep pace with economic and industrial development.
The total invested so far, including this work, on airport improvements through grants and other considerations comes to $5.1 million over an approximate eight-year period, according to airport director Justin Hall. He said the 20-year plan for airport expansion and development is on track, if not a little bit ahead of schedule.
Funding has gone into construction of a fence around the airport, adding a self-serve fuel farm, building two additional hangars, lengthening the taxiway to the full length of the current 3,200-foot runway and purchasing additional land to prepare for runway lengthening to hopefully 5,000 feet.
The runway, as is, cannot take small jets, Hall said. It does accept most piston-driven turboprops and other single-engine aircrafts.
Hall said there are about 16 local hobbyists from Marshall County, DeSoto County and Fayette County who enjoy using the airport for recreational purposes or for business trips.
The most recent amenity is the construction of a commercial hangar, which when finished will also be equipped with a lounge where pilots who land to wait out a storm can relax. The lounge will be open year-round.
The second hangar can also be used for storage. Land is adequate for hangar expansion on the south end of the airport at the southeast corner.
Business at the airport is also keeping pace with demand. There is an aircraft engine repair shop operated by John Jewell, a composite repair shop, and an airframe repair business.
The airport is an amenity for local business and will be attractive for future industrial representatives who want to travel on business trips, Hall said.
Local interest is a strong suit.
“There is somebody out there at all times playing with a plane,” Hall said.