When Will the Airport be Built?
This is the question we most often receive from members of the community of Angoon, who often feel that they have been waiting for this airport for more than three decades.This is difficult question to answer precisely, but we can report that as of now (fall of 2011), we are preparing the Draft EIS, which will be released to the public in the fall of 2012. If everything stays on schedule, the Final EIS will be complete by mid-2013. When the Final EIS is complete, if the FAA selects one of the “action” alternatives, the DOT&PF would start work on detailed engineering design, obtaining the required construction permits, and acquiring right-of-way. This effort typically takes one to two years to complete but can sometimes take longer. Construction of the airport would follow and would likely take two or possibly three construction seasons.
One important consideration in the timeline for this project is that fact that the Angoon Project involves a proposal from the State of Alaska DOT&PF to put an airport in a National Monument and Wilderness area. If an alternative in the Monument–Wilderness is selected, an application under ANILCA Title XI must be approved before the design can start. If Alternative 12a on the Angoon peninsula is selected, this design and construction effort can start soon after the Record of Decision is signed.
