Project Summary

The City of Eastport Maine, holds the distinction as the easternmost city in the United States. It is also home to the city owned Eastport Municipal Airport (EPM) with its single 4,002-foot runway situated on a 252-acre parcel on Moose Island. Hoyle Tanner recently provided the engineering design, construction administration and construction observation services required for two vital airfield improvement projects.  

The last significant runway improvement project was completed over 30 years ago and MaineDOT’s Pavement Condition Index (PCI) Reports indicated the need for Runway 15-33 reconstruction in order to avoid potential safety and operational impacts including possible aircraft damage. Recognizing the financial constraint of the Eastport community, Hoyle Tanner assisted the Town in applying for – and receiving – runway reconstruction project funding through the Federal Supplemental Appropriations Program. Additional project elements included replacing the rotating beacons, Runway End Identifier Lights (REILS) on both runway ends, Medium Intensity Runway Lights (MIRLS) and Visual Glide Slope Indicator (VGSI). 

As part of a stormwater improvement project, Hoyle Tanner assisted the City in securing the necessary FAA project funding and preparing and securing the necessary Maine Department of Environmental Department (DEP) Site Location of Development (SLDA) permit and Permit By Rule (PBR) Natural Resources Protection Act (NRPA) notification form. The initial SLDA permit application was submitted and approved in 2017 for stormwater treatment devices for an airport development project that included 4.9 acres of impervious surfaces. At that time, the City was unable to proceed with the development due to limitation of available city funding. 

To promote both airfield improvements projects and the allocation of supplemental federal funding, Hoyle Tanner assisted the City with the development of an public relations campaign. As part of this campaign, the Maine congressional delegation, City officials and the community were invited to a groundbreaking ceremony celebrating both the runway and stormwater improvements. In the October of 2020, the ongoing pandemic added an additional planning element to keep everyone safe. Uutilizing the Airport’s apron allowed for the necessary social distancing and maintain a safe event. During the ceremony, the City proudly announced that airport announced it had received a $5.2 million grant from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and that this grant would be used to build a new runway and improve lighting and infrastructure at this Airport.