Reprinted from 10-30-26 Redlands Community News BY ADENIYI LATINWO, Redlands Community News Reporter
The improvement will improve runway quality and takeoff safety. (RCN/File)
At their Oct. 20 meeting, the Redlands City Council approved a construction contract for pavement maintenance and rehabilitation work at Redlands Municipal Airport, authorizing up to $658,048 for improvements to Taxiway Alpha and the airport’s east and west aprons.
The council awarded a $598,225 contract to Maxwell Asphalt Inc. for the Taxiway Alpha and Apron Pavement Treatment Project and approved an additional appropriation of up to $658,048 from the Airport Projects and Grants Fund. The total includes a 10% contingency of $59,823 to cover potential additional costs during construction.
“This particular item will provide much needed improvements to the Redlands Municipal Airport. Much needed maintenance and rehabilitation activities removing existing markings that need to be updated and corrected, remove vegetation and much needed crack sealing that needs to occur along a majority of the apron and the taxiway,” said management analyst Tricia Munoz.
“This will include seal coating, slurry sealing of the east and west aprons and restriping of all affected areas. We will have some interruptions of flights but for a very brief time. We’re hoping to complete it within a few days so that the airport is not closed very long.
We expect the project to be completed within 60 days after issuance of the notice to proceed.”
The improvements are intended to preserve the condition of existing airport pavement and maintain the surfaces used by aircraft operating at the facility. The work will address pavement maintenance needs without significantly expanding the airport’s existing infrastructure or capacity.
The project will be funded in part through Airport Capital Improvement Plan entitlement funds allocated to Redlands Municipal Airport by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). After the work is successfully completed, the city anticipates receiving $563,000 in reimbursement, representing the full remaining balance of FAA grant funds allocated to the airport.
The federal funding will offset a substantial portion of the project’s cost, with the city using its Airport Projects and Grants Fund to cover the construction contract and contingency. The approved appropriation provides up to $658,048 for the project, including the base contract amount and additional funds reserved for unforeseen construction expenses.
City staff prepared the project’s plans and specifications in-house before advertising the construction phase March 10. The city then solicited bids from contractors to complete the pavement maintenance and rehabilitation work.
The City Clerk’s Office received three bids for the project. Maxwell Asphalt submitted the lowest bid at $598,225, followed by C.R. Contracting LLC at $646,320 and Pavement Coatings Co. at $1,035,495.
Maxwell Asphalt’s bid was $48,095 lower than C.R. Contracting’s and $437,270 lower than Pavement Coatings Co.’s proposal.
After reviewing the submissions for compliance with the city’s bidding requirements, staff determined that Maxwell Asphalt was the lowest responsive bidder and recommended awarding the construction contract to the company.
The council’s approval allows the city to proceed with the contractor selected through the competitive bidding process.
Construction is expected to be completed within 60 calendar days after the city issues a notice to proceed to the contractor as Munoz stated. The timeline will begin once the city formally authorizes the contractor to start work.
The council also approved the project’s plans and specifications and determined that the work is categorically exempt from environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act.
According to the staff report, the exemption applies because the project involves maintenance of an existing facility with a negligible expansion of capacity. The work is focused on preserving existing airport infrastructure rather than significantly expanding its operations.
The Oct. 20 approval represents another investment in maintaining Redlands Municipal Airport’s existing facilities.
By authorizing the pavement treatment work and allocating funding for construction, the city can address maintenance needs while using available federal grant funds to help cover the project’s cost.
Once completed, the improvements are expected to help preserve the condition of the taxiway and apron pavement, supporting the continued use of the airport’s existing aircraft movement and parking areas.