Airport 4x4 Snow Plow

Stelling Engineers administered the acquisition of a new 4X4 snow plow for the Ronan Airport. The Airport’s existing snow plow was a late 1970s model diesel truck. The existing snow plow was only 12 feet in length. A new Airport snow plow with a 14-foot moldboard was desirable to more efficiently facilitate snow removal from pavements and to provide for continued safe aircraft operations at the Ronan Airport during and after snow events.

Design and Implementation of a Snow Removal Equipment Building

Stelling Engineers provided the design and implementation of a new snow removal equipment building with gravel approaches. The building is 36’W X 48’L X 14’H and framed with lumber and wood trusses, covered with preformed metal siding and roofing. The building’s function is to store a snowplow and other snow removal equipment. In addition to the plow, an end loader is used to haul plowed snow away from the runway area. An angle blade for the plow can also be stored in the proposed building.

Complete Reconstruction of Ronan Airport

Stelling Engineers performed the planning, land acquisition, design, and construction administration for the complete reconstruction of the Ronan Airport including a new 4,800-foot full-length parallel taxiway, 1,200-foot runway extension, and aircraft parking aprons, land acquisition, and drainage.

Special features include over 95,000 cubic yards of excavation, 30,000 tons of bituminous surfacing, and a new Medium Intensity Runway Lighting System. The project included negotiations of runway protection zone easements with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and a through-the-fence agreement with the CSKT Tribal Fire Base.

The Montana Aeronautics Division awarded Ronan with “Airport of the Year Award” in 2001. Construction of a new taxilane and pavement maintenance was performed in 2004.