The R.I. Airport Corporation board of directors has taken a step in the right direction in trying to find an acceptable compromise for the needed runway extension at T.F. Green Airport (PVD) in Warwick.
The board agreed to consider an alternative proposal for a smaller new runway at T.F. Green, which would in turn reduce the environmental impact and the disruption it would cause to nearby businesses and residents in Warwick.
The new runway is needed to allow nonstop transcontinental flights to land and take off at the airport. The five original plans all called for a 9,350-foot runway, which would have forced a number of Warwick residents and businesses to move.
The Federal Aviation Authority eliminated four of the five original runway extension plans that would have caused the most displacement and cost the most to implement. And the RIAC added an 8,700-foot runway for consideration. Both moves indicate that these agencies are listening to the concerns that have been raised and are trying to be responsive.
The next opportunity for the healthy dialogue to continue is Thursday, June 14, at the Crowne Plaza at the Crossings in Warwick, from 5:30 to 9 p.m.
