Ocean Ridge Airport remains closed to all air traffic. A NOTAM for closure is still posted. However, PG&E has had its hired contractors working to determine what needs to be done to make the necessary repairs.

This prep work includes mapping the runway with Trimble GPS for high accuracy locations of all key features, soils and materials testing, as well as the creation of a stormwater pollution prevention plan.

The contractor reported today that the first round of soil samples came back from the soils lab. One of the samples was mixed with concrete and tested for strength to ensure that the paving contractors identify the right formulation for optimum pavement material durability. Unfortunately, this first batch failed the strength testing. So three more formulations have been sent off for testing. Those results should be back to the contractor by the end of next week.

This winter and early spring have continued to be very wet by recent standards. It has taken a while for the soil under the damaged runway to dry out in order to get to the soils testing stage of this process. Luckily we’ve been without rain for several days now and there is nothing but dry weather in the immediate forecast.

Hopefully the next time we talk to the contractor, they will have a repair start date for us to look forward to.