Overall the United States Federal Aviation Regulation applies to many Airports throughout the United States. The anticipated cost of compliance with these regulations in expected to cost in excess of a Billion US dollars. One of the Airports requiring upgrades is the Oakland Airport and its owner the Port of Oakland.

Oakland International Airport is in the San Francisco Bay Area, and is controled by United States Federal Aviation Regulation.  The Airport is owned and operated by the Port of Oakland. The Airport has four runways: three in the North Field and one in the South Field. The 2006 Department of Transportation Appropriations Act (Public Law 109-115) requires that the Airport ensure that its Runway Safety Areas (RSAs) comply with current Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airport design standards no later than December 31, 2015. An RSA is a defined surface surrounding a runway (500 feet wide, centered on the runway centerline, and extending 1,000 feet beyond each runway end) that enhances the safety of runways and reduces the risk of damage to aircraft in the event of an undershoot, overshoot, or excursion from the runway. RSAs also provide runway accessibility for firefighting and rescue equipment. Because the Airport was built before the current RSA requirements were adopted in the late 1980s, most of the RSAs do not meet FAA design standards. The FAA’s statutory mission is to ensure the safe and efficient use of navigable airspace in the United States. Under FAA Order 5200.8, RSA Program, the FAA is directed to implement the RSA Program, which is intended to provide enhanced safety through the establishment of RSAs at all federally obligated airports. Implementation of the Proposed Action at this Airport would result in compliance with the design standards set forth in FAA AC 150/5300-13, Airport Design.

Here the Port of Oakland is implementing the Runway Safety Area (RSA) Improvement Project for Oakland International Airport to enhance the level of safety provided by RSAs at the Airport and comply with Federal Aviation Administration design standards, as required, by December 31, 2015.

This Runway Safety Area, North Field project for the Port of Oakland will be managed Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. with our principles performing the soil stabilization and mix design, and quality control.

More information is available for review on the Port of Oakland website: http://www.portofoakland.com/environm/publicat.asp#RAS

More information from FAA website: http://www.faa.gov/airports/resources/publications/orders/media/Construction_5200_9.pdf

An assessment and initial study, along with a more detailed description of the proposed project can be found at http://www.portofoakland.com/pdf/oak_rsa_5.pdf