CRESTVIEW — Former Crestview Area Chamber of Commerce President Dennis Mitchell once called Fairchild Road “a pig trail through the woods."
That's because Bob Sikes Airport, a strong North Okaloosa County economic generator, is served by a dirt road prone to washouts in heavy rain.
Fairchild Road and John Givens Road from the north, and Fairchild and Shoffner City neighborhood streets from the south, provide industrial access to the airport and its 8,000-foot runway. Shoffner City’s Hare Street, which links with Givens Road, is dirt, as is Fairchild Road from Airport Road to L3 Crestview Aerospace’s front gate.
These roads deter development.
“I have heard defense contractors talk about not doing business there because they need an industrial-grade road,” Okaloosa County Deputy Airports Director Mike Stenson said.
But those days are numbered.
DESIGNING PROGRESS
Designing for Foy Shaw Industrial Parkway — a direct-access road from U.S. Highway 90 that will bypass Shoffner City neighborhoods — is 60 percent complete, Interim County Airports Director Tracy Stage said. “Currently, we are working through wetland mitigation impacts,” he said. “We hope to have a full design by July.”
And, after many years of discussion, Fairchild Road, between Airport Road and Crestview Aerospace, will finally be paved.
The $2 million project fulfills an effort county Commissioner Wayne Harris has supported since before his 2008 election. “This has been one of my priorities,” he said.
Fairchild was the original access road when Bob Sikes Airport opened in May 1965 to accommodate Fairchild Hiller, a now-defunct contractor that modified fighter jets during the Vietnam War. It serves residents and much of the workforce at L3 Crestview Aerospace, the north county’s largest private employer.
“Forty-five to 50 percent of the people who work at L-3 traverse that road,” Harris said. “That could be as much as 400 or 500 a day. That’s why it is such a priority.”
“The decision by local officials to make this investment in the transportation infrastructure is welcome news to L-3 Crestview Aerospace,” company vice president and general manager Woody Tignor said. “The paving of Fairchild Road from the north will provide all-weather access from the north for our customers, employees and visitors.”
INDUSTRIAL UPGRADE
The road projects complement almost $70 million in on-site airport improvements including runway, taxiway and apron repaving and lighting.
“When Fairchild’s done and Foy Shaw is done, we will have industrial-grade paved access on both sides of the airport,” Stage said. “We’re going full-steam ahead on both ends. This is something L3 has been wanting for years and years.”
It’s also something local residents have wanted.
“I’ve been here about 20 years, and every year I hear they’re going to pave it, they’re going to pave it, they’re going to pave it — and they don’t do nothin’,” Jackie Price said. “Nobody ever wants to come see me when it rains. They don’t want to get their car messed up or get stuck.”
“We have some problem with run-off when it rains,” Terrence Barnes said, adding run-off blocked the driveway to his sister’s home on Fairchild.
“Our dirt roads do really well with 4 or 5 inches of rain,” county road manager Brian Moore said. “But with 14 inches (like during Christmas) it can get pretty bad.”
Okaloosa County engineer Scott Bitterman said the county soon will solicit Fairchild paving bids. “We’d like to get started this year and be completed in about a year,” he said.
That meshes with county airports officials’ plans.
“We need that industrial connectivity for the current and future businesses at Bob Sikes,” Stage said. “We’re looking forward to the benefit that it’ll bring to the airport.”
“When we get this road in here, it will mean a lot to a lot of people,” said Mitchell, now a consultant on county economic and environmental issues.
“This is a very big deal.”
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Okaloosa residents can expect greater Bob Sikes Airport access in 2016 (PHOTOS, VIDEO)