PIERRE, S.D. – The Pierre City Commission is planning for another major project at Pierre Regional Airport. It has approved the first step to relocate Taxiway C.
“There are a number of benefits to this taxiway project,” said Nick Waters, City Engineer. “The relocation gives us the opportunity to better align with Federal Aviation Administration standards, improve traffic flow efficiency, and correct the failing taxiway surface.”
Per federal guidelines, the new taxiway will run parallel to the airport’s secondary runway, Runway 7-25, rather than intersect with it at a 45-degree angle.
To accommodate the rebuilding and relocation of Taxiway C, at their April 8 meeting, the Pierre City Commission approved a contract with Lochner Engineering to complete an environmental study. The federal government picks up the lion’s share of the $18,300 contract. Both the State of South Dakota and city are responsible for 2.5% of the contract.
Lights will be removed from the existing Taxiway C, and upon completion of the new taxiway, the existing one will serve only as an access road for airport emergencies.
This is just the most recent improvement in a string of major infrastructure projects at the Pierre airport. In 2023, the City of Pierre reconstructed Runway 7-25 and upgraded the runway lighting. This year, it’s rehabilitating the primary runway, Runway 13-31. Taxiway B and a portion of Taxiway A were realigned to meet federal standards in 2020.
Pierre Regional Airport had nearly 15,000 commercial enplanements last year and currently has an on-time flight record of 92%. Twelve weekly non-stop flights to Denver International Airport are offered from Pierre. The airport is also home to FBO Mustang Aviation, the State of South Dakota hangar, Avera Careflight, as well as ag and general aviation services.
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