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Work affects TIA runways, noise

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By TED JACKOVICS

tjackovics@tampatrib.com

Published: April 22, 2009

TAMPA - With one more year of state highway construction affecting Tampa International Airport flights, neighbors can expect additional noise during late-night hours on about 76 more days, an airport official said Tuesday.

The contract permits the preferred west parallel runway to be closed for 200 days to avoid conflicts with construction equipment before a financial penalty is imposed, airport noise officer Herman Lawrence Jr. says in a quarterly noise report.

When the west runway is closed, as it has been on 124 occasions for the ongoing highway project, aircraft use the east parallel runway that takes them over the residential areas south of the airport.

Despite the project, aircraft noise issues declined in the January-to-March quarter, with 188 complaints by 18 residents compared with 233 complaints by 13 complainants from October through December.

One household south of Gandy Boulevard accounted for 123 of the recent complaints.

In the first quarter of 2008, 34 households filed 319 complaints.

Commercial and cargo aircraft landings declined 21.4 percent in March to 7,888, a drop attributed to airlines trimming schedules because of the poor economy.

Reporter Ted Jackovics can be reached at (813) 259-7817.

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