From the Flight Deck

It’s pretty quiet now on Marshfield Airport’s main ramp. Gone are the paving machines, excavators, bulldozers, rollers, and thunderous trucks that entertained – if you can call endless digging, pushing, crunching, crushing, and compacting mingled with backup horns beep, beep, beeping and sweepers sweep, sweep, sweeping entertaining – for several weeks.

This week crews were installing aircraft tie downs and electrical outlets from deep within the new surface. Next week will focus on seeding the new loam between the main ramp and Taxiway Alpha, which runs parallel to the runway, asphalt sealcoating, painting markings, and final cleanup. Weather permitting, the project is on course to be completed by October 24.

Electrical conduits are being installed at KGHG.

This electrical installation has a robotic look.

The airport access road, which enters the grounds from Gate 1 coming in on Old Colony Lane, has its second coat of asphalt. The access road leads to the airport’s fuel farm, hangars, and the east ramp area, which was redone initially as part of this project phase.

And speaking of the east ramp, large white lettering of “MARSHFIELD” has been painted onto it, as before, so that pilots have no doubt where they are when approaching the airport. That and a giant white and blue compass rose make location clear.

“MARSHFIELD” lettering returns to KGHG’s east ramp.

This compass rose on the east ramp leaves no question as to which way is north.

It’s taken a while. Planning for this airport safety improvement project began in 2002. Years of hearings and coordination resulted in an FAA grant for most of the funding, administered by MassDOT’s Aeronautics Division. A new runway came about in 2014, adding 900 feet in length and 25 feet in width (3,900 x 100), which allows aircraft to take off and land more safely.

And now the ramp reconstruction project, which is part of the Land Use with Higher Potential Pollutant Loads (LUHPPL) initiative, a conditional order to the runway program, ensures continued operational safety and environmental compliance, bringing the airport to current FAA standards.

The project was designed by Airport Solutions Group, and made to happen by contractor Lawrence Lynch Corp.

Enhancing airport safety is an ongoing high priority for the Marshfield Airport Commission and Shoreline Aviation, which manages the airport for the town. Shoreline is the airport’s FBO (fixed base operator), providing aviation services including fueling, overnight aircraft parking, aircraft maintenance, aircraft sales and acquisition, aircraft management, and charter flights since 1981.

The Marshfield Airport ramp is calm as quiet work is being done.