Unalaska, AK – Unalaska's runway is being redesigned to accommodate larger aircraft and to conform to Federal Aviation Administration standards. Department of Transportation airport planning manager Judy Chapman says the extended safety area around the runway would overlap with Airport-Beach Road and some buildings.

"Long term, Airport-Beach Road would be in the runway safety area when the larger aircraft start coming in," Chapman says. "So the FAA is telling us that at that point, it's no longer an option to keep that road open to the public."

Drivers would have to use Biorka Road or East Point Road instead. Chapman says they want to complete the airport master plan by December and start construction by 2015 at the latest. The FAA has committed $25 million to the plan, which includes money to redo roads. The new plan would also require moving the World War II Visitors Center building in 2026. DOT plans on holding more meetings to gather public input.

The more immediate effect of the new runway design includes new runway warning gates. Southwest District Supervisor for maintenance and operations Troy LaRue says new railroad style gates will be placed next to the seaplane ramp, near the powerhouse, and across from the World War II Visitors Center by the Amaknak Island fire station.

"One of our objectives was to make sure that the gates are far enough away from the runway that they'll provide adequate safety to the runway," he says. "The old gates were much too close to be very functional or to add a very big layer of safety to the runway. They actually many times were a detriment to safety at the end of that runway."

LaRue says the gates should be able to stand up to the weather and that the city can coordinate with the flights and delay them in order to not impair the fire station in the case of emergencies. He says they hope to install the new gates this August.