Perkins Field reopens after repaving

By VERNON ROBISON

The Progress

After six months of being closed for construction, the runway at Perkins Field Airport in Overton was reopened to air traffic last week.

The rural airport has received a new asphalt surface on its runway and taxiway, as well as new LED lighting, new signage and a number of other safety updates.

The contractor on the project was Las Vegas Paving with a total construction budget of $15.9 million. About $8 million of that came from a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grant.

Involved with the work was the resurfacing of more than 98,000 square yards of asphalt for the runway, taxiway and tarmac areas. In addition, the southern end of the runway was raised just a bit to level out a slight slope, and a new aircraft approach to the runway was created.

The engineering inspector on the project, Overton resident Fred Christensen, said that the contractor had done well at completing the project to design and on time. “I have to hand it to the guys from Las Vegas Paving,” Christensen said. “They did good job and I’ve been impressed with them.”

Christensen said that one of the biggest challenges of the project pertained to its delicate timing. Local business Skydive Fyrosity, which operates out of Perkins Field, had some crucial contracts that it needed to fill which started this week. As the end of the project drew near, workers from Las Vegas Paving put in a lot of overtime hours to complete the project in time for those contracts, Christensen said.

The runway was closed back on November 7, 2023. It reopened on Saturday, May 4; just under six months.

In an interview last week, Skydive Fyrosity owner Sammy Vasilev expressed appreciation for the efforts of the contractor in accommodating his business’ needs. “They did an excellent job,” he said. “I appreciate all they did to finish the project on time for us as promised. Had it not happened that way, and had we not been able to deliver on our contracts, it would have been devastating to our business. We would have been done.”

Clark County Department of Aviation spokeswoman Heidi Hayes talked about the Perkins Field project as a way to relieve congestion at other regional airports that has been building in recent years.

“It pretty much started when the Raiders came to Las Vegas and we saw an increase in private jets coming in,” Hayes said. “Harry Reid International was already pretty packed. So If we can relieve some of the general aviation at Harry Reid, and take it to North Las Vegas, or Henderson, that helps the commercial flights in Harry Reid. The only problem is that Henderson, North Las Vegas; they’re also busy. So if we could extend out and use Perkins Field for some of the smaller planes that come in, it could help to balance things out.”

Hayes said that the Department of Aviation has more plans in the works for Perkins Field. These include a new terminal and pilot’s lounge facility and updated weather detection equipment, she said.

Local aviators welcomed these proposed future improvements.
“We are encouraged by the efforts being done with a new airport runway and taxiway,” said Tim DeBerardinis, member of the Perkins Field Flying Club located at the airport. “It is a good step forward. We also look forward to the next phase of the improvements and we are anxious to be a part of that growth.”