Waukegan National Airport needs critical safety improvement

KEY FACTS AND ECONOMIC VALUE OF THE AIRPORT

The Waukegan National Airport needs safety improvements in order to continue serving Lake County. The airport is home base to a variety of aircraft that support Lake County businesses, military, medical community, humanitarian organizations, flight schools and emergency preparedness. Its onsite U.S. Customs service enables daily international arrivals and departures. The airport currently supports nearly 900 jobs, generates $11 million in annual tax revenue to the state and local government, and has a total annual economic output of $181 million.

THE UNAVOIDABLE INFRASTRUCTURE REQUIREMENT

The airport’s 6,000-foot runway has reached the end of its useful life, and does not meet minimum FAA design and safety standards. The length and strength are inadequate for existing aircraft activity. The FAA concurs that the airport needs a new, modern 7,000-foot runway to meet FAA safety and design criteria to enable current and future aircraft to realize their full potential. The proposed runway replacement program, which is currently under moving through the environmental review process, will meet the required safety standards and allow for continued operations at the airport.

FUNDING THE PROJECT

The cost of the proposed safety improvement project at Waukegan National Airport is $186 million, which will come from federal and state capital grants.  The balance would be paid by the users of the airport. Importantly, there would be no local taxes required or raised to pay for this project.

the status quo is not an option

The airport is required to meet FAA standards. Without the runway replacement project, the airport would be closed for up to 3 years to reconstruct the existing runway, significantly reducing its economic contributions to the region. A reconstructed runway would not meet the needs of aircraft operating today and limit future operations. Companies that depend on the airport may go elsewhere and might not return when the airport reopens. Emergency responders and critical healthcare users would lose an important asset. The future sustainability of the airport would be stymied.

Please review this Fact Sheet and or check out www.waukeganairportsafety.com for more detail.