With a planned ground breaking next spring, officials with Williston’s Sloulin Field International Airport say things are on track for a potential relocation of the airport. Airport Manager Steven Kjergaard says the project is needed as the level of air service demand increases, and the City of Williston continues to grow…
“…The City has grown around us and we’ve done our best to protect the airspace. It’s still a safe airport to operate in and out of, but the City has grown around us. And it has limited the amount we can expand, as well as the terrain around us is limited in the amount we can expand. Unfortunately it is time we look at relocating.”
Kjergaard says relocating airports is not a common practice, nor is it cheap. But Kjergaard says keeping the airport in its current would require some expensive upgrades…
“…To look at relocating we are looking at about $220-Million to $240-Million, depending on what bid prices come in. You just never know about bid prices at the time. To stay here you are talking probably about a $300-Million project.”
Kjergaard says the airport once handled a total of three turbo-prop aircraft. It now serves eleven daily departures with United and Delta Airlines. He says environmental impact and other planning studies are nearing completion for a new site, 5.5 miles northwest of the current airport.
