MANSFIELD — The longest runway at Mansfield Lahm Regional Airport will undergo an $8 million rehabilitation project in 2026, with the federal government picking up 95 percent of the cost.
The City of Mansfield Board of Control on Tuesday approved a $6,518,916 construction contract with Kokosing Construction, which submitted the lowest of three bids for the project.
Kokosing is one of Knox County’s biggest employers, with more than 300 residents working for the company.
The work, which carried an estimated cost of $9.5 million, will begin in the spring on runway 14-32, according to city engineer Bob Bianchi.
Other bids were submitted by Shelly & Sands of Mansfield ($6,785,100) and Lagan Construction from Sterling, Va. ($9,369,920).
Delta Consultants will handle the inspection/quality assurance on the project on a $1.5 million separate contract, pushing the total cost of the effort to $8,018,916. The company, headquartered in Virginia, has an office in Cleveland.
The city will need to pay about $400,000 for its share of the project, which will largely consist of putting down a new asphalt surface on the 9,001-foot long runway, which is 150 feet wide.
Mansfield City Council approved the effort, including seeking the Federal Aviation Administration grant, during its meeting in March.
Bianchi said the runway was last rehabbed in 2005 and that it would take about five months to complete once the construction begins.
“(Kokosing) is responsible. They meet all of the bid requirements and they are prepared to start construction,” Bianchi said. “I talked to them this morning and they will start (likely in April 2026).
Mayor Jodie Perry praised the FAA grant.
“We are very appreciative to the FAA for the 95 percent funding that they are providing,” she said. “If this was reliant on city funds, we’d be sitting here for a long time waiting on it.”