HORNOR BROTHERS ENGINEERS

HISTORY

Hornor Brothers Engineers began providing engineering services in 1937 at what was then known as the Harrison County Airport. The first projects, under the direction of the Harrison County Court and financed through the Federal Works Progress Administration, were the construction of a 3700 foot main runway and a cut stone hangar. Following this the local court continued improvements with the addition of a crosswind runway about 3000 feet in length.

In a cooperative effort in 1944, the Marion County Court joined the Harrison County Court in the support, promotion and management of the regional airport. The facility was renamed Benedum Airport in honor of Michael Late Benedum. In 1956 the Harrison and Marion County Courts decided to make substantial improvements at Benedum Airport. A Master Plan was developed in conjunction with the Federal Aviation Administration and four projects were adopted. These projects resulted in a new 5200 LF main runway and a 3600 LF crosswind runway with access roads, terminal building, T-hangars and all supporting utilities.

In 1960 the Benedum Airport Authority was created and continues to manage and control the development of Benedum Airport. Today the entire airport facility is valued in excess of $100,000,000 and provides daily commercial air service to Pittsburgh, Charleston and Washington, D.C. In 2001 the Board of Directors of the Benedum Aiport Authority changed the name of the airport ot Harrison-Marion Regional Airport.

During the past 65 years, Hornor Brothers Engineers has provided the vast majority of the engineering service at the airport, with the exception of the development of the Master Plan and the design of the terminal building. In 1982, Paul Allen Hornor was honored by the Benedum Airport Authority for his 45 years of continuous service as engineer for Benedum Airport.

The years of 1960-1975 were the main development years for the airport. During this period of time there were nine major construction projects. From 1977 to 1995 there have been 15 smaller projects (all funded primarily by the Federal Aviation Administration) which are identified as follows:

FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION
CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS SINCE 1977

• Replacement of Runway & Taxiway Cables & Lights,
    Purchase of ARFF Vehicle & Snow Removal Vehicle
• Installation of Taxiway and Runway Guidance Signs
• Installation of Beacon Lights, Storm Sewers and Other Improvements
• Paving of General Aviation Ramps, Resurfacing of Access Roads and
    Construction of New Maintenance Building
• Paving Parallel and Access Taxiways and Construction of Storm Sewers in
    Conjunction with WVAC Project
• Widening and Relocation of Access Taxiway to Crosswind Runway
• Paving of Aprons, Installation of Lighted Runway Signs and 12" Storm Sewer
• Construction of Helipad, Itinerant Parking, Fire Services Lines and Fuel Farm Relocation
• Paving, Grooving and Painting of Main Runway
• Construction of a Sanitary Sewer System
• Installation of a Sub-Surface Drainage System for Main Runway and
    Location of Buried Electrical Cables
• Strenghening of Existing Deer Fence, Raising Woven Wire Fence, Building a
    Sanitary Sewer and Installing a Generator
• Painting of Taxiways, Unclassified Excavation, Sub-Drain Pipe, Fire Alarm System
• Installation of Tie Down Pads, Taxiways, Fencing, House for Snow Removal Truck
• Installation of Tie Down Pads, Taxiways, Lights, Construction of Fire House,
    Helipad, Trucks, Snow Plow Spreader

YEAR

1994-95

1993
1992
1991

1990

1989
1988
1987
1985
1985
1983

1981

1980
1978
1977

CONSTRUCTION
COST

$793,000

266,000
189,000
442,000

380,000

112,000
127,000
195,000
546,000
106,000
136,000

133,000

154,000
293,000
328,000

Benedum Airport now hosts the West Virginia Air Center (WVAC) facility, a project which began in 1989 and was completed in 1991. Also known as Phase I of the Mid-Atlantic Aerospace Complex, this multi-million dollar project resulted in major changes at the airport. Hornor Brothers Engineers was responsible for this work, which included the decommissioning of crosswind runway 13/31 and the following separate contracts (all under construction at the same time):

CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS FROM 1990-91

• Construction of Lower Parking Area to Accomodate 500 Vehicles
• Construction of Aprons and Drainage Facilities at the West Virginia Air Center
• Widening and Overlay of Access Road to FAA Control Tower and WVAC
• Construction of Upper Parking Area for 160 Vehicles
• Grading, Paving and Drainage for New Tee Hangars
• Erection of 16 Tee Hangars
• Fuel Farm Relocation Containing AVGas and Jet-A Farms
• Potable Water and Sanitary Sewer Construction for WVAC
• New Electrical Control System for Entire Airport
• FBO Hangar (31,500 Sq.Ft.)

YEAR

1990-91
1990-91
1990
1991
1990
1990
1990-91
1990-91
1990-91
1990-91

CONSTRUCTION
COST

$487,900
571,300
108,200
95,500
70,500
272,200
149,900
154,300
173,900
1,182,500

BENEDUM AIRPORT

RUNWAY EXTENSION PROJECT: CLICK HERE FOR PICTURE

Beginning in 1993, the Benedum Airport Authority embarked on a large and ambitious project to extend its main runway and parallel taxiway 1,800 feet to the north, plus another 1,000 feet of safety area. A 350 foot safety area was planned for addition to the south end.

Hornor Brothers Engineers was hired to perform the engineering design services for this project. Major design components include a 10,000,000 cubic yard excavation and embankment; a 2,400 foot long, 72-inch structural steel culvert; runway and taxiway pavement and lighting; repaving the existing runway; fencing; utility line relocations; storm drainage system; and a new instrument landing system.

The design and project documents were completed in 1995. Funding for the project was also finalized in 1995. Construction began in the Fall of 1996 and was completed in November 1999. Hornor Brothers was also chosen to provide all engineering services during the construction phase.

The main runway has been extended from 5,200 feet to 7,000 feet. In addition to enabling larger planes to land and presently based aircraft to take off with full fuel loads and full payloads, this project has created a 45 acre level area near the runway which will be available for industrial and commercial use in conjunction with Benedum Airport and the existing Benedum Industrial Park.

Year Total Cost

Runway Extension Project 1996-1999 $31,500,000

ACCESS HIGHWAY: CLICK HERE FOR PICTURE

The Benedum Airport Authority has hired Hornor Brothers Engineers to provide engineering design, inspection and construction management services for the construction of a 4,400 foot long (0.833 miles) access highway. The road intersects Route 73 (now 131) north of Bridgeport and runs in a southeasterly direction around the north end of the extended runway to the new industrial area created by the runway excavation near the Robert C. Byrd National Aerospace Education Center of Fairmont State College. This section of highway is known as Route 279, North Bridgeport Bypass.

This project is unique in that most of the grading was performed by West Virginia Army National Guard units. The Guard began work on this project during the summer of 1994 and continued in a like manner thereafter through the 1999 summer. The West Virginia Division of Highways completed the paving during the year 2000.

Based on conventional pricing, the access highway is a $2,100,000 project. Hornor Brothers has designed this road so that its alignment permited future extensions to both Route 50 to the east and and I-79 to the west, thus creating a highway which will be a complete northeast bypass of the City of Bridgeport.

ARMY NATIONAL GUARD: CLICK HERE FOR PICTURE

The West Virginia Army National Guard (ARNG) hired Hornor Brothers Engineers to provide all phases of engineering design and inspection for the construction of the Eastern ARNG Aviation Training Site Fixed Wing Detachment at Benedum Airport.

This facility consisted of a 37,200 sq. ft. training facility hangar with classroom/administrative and aircraft maintenance space, flexible and rigid paving for aircraft parking, new taxiway access to the main runway, new taxiway access to the existing Tee Hangars, all supporting utilities, drainage structures, and new access highway from U.S. Route 50.

Construction of the $7,000,000 project was completed in October, 1996 and is fully operational.