The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has accepted Trenton-Mercer Airport’s updated Master Plan and approved its Airport Layout Plan for airspace and design standards.
Trenton-Mercer Airport has been working with the FAA on updating the airport’s Master Plan for the first time in 20 years. The FAA does not formally approve the Master Plan because it is considered a local policy or guidance document. And the agency’s approval of the ALP is not a green light to proceed with a recommended construction project. Rather, it means that the FAA has no safety concerns related to the Master Plan and that it conforms to FAA standards.
The airport is now positioned to begin implementation of projects identified on the new Airport Layout Plan. As shown at several public meetings, the airport’s priorities with the Master Plan Update can be summarized in three main areas:
Development of a modern air carrier terminal to meet the existing demands and allow for anticipated growth at the airport;Providing development opportunities within underutilized spaces on airport property for general aviation growth;Continuing with a program of taxiway and runway resurfacing and lighting upgrades to address facilities that have exceeded their design life cycles.
The county will now engage in a project scoping process with the FAA to agree on the program, which will include environmental approvals, for beginning the terminal design process. Other projects as shown on the new ALP may also be initiated in the coming months, including reconstruction of Taxiway F and design work for the Taxiway D and G connector.
“We’re thrilled that the FAA concurs with our blueprint for the airport over the next 15 to 20 years,” Mercer County Executive Brian M. Hughes said. “We look forward to working with the FAA as we move toward starting the process of designing a new passenger terminal and initiating other airport projects.”
The Master Plan was prepared by Urban Engineers, which was selected through a qualifications-based process as the general consultant for the airport, and McFarland Johnson, a national aviation consulting firm specializing in airport planning studies at smaller commercial service airports.
Ninety percent of the project was funded by the FAA, through various aviation user fees, with the remaining 10 percent coming from Mercer County. The Master Plan development process included three public meetings, held between September 2016 and October 2017.
For more information about the Airport Master Plan, please visit the airport section of Mercer County’s website at mercercounty.org.
