b'78 MLI RUNWAYSQuad Cities Airport Eliminates Airfield Bullseye BY MIKE SCHWANZWhen it comes to airfield safety, lengthening runways isreduce the general aviation runway from 5,000 feet to 3,500 feet. often the answer. At Quad Cities International Airport (MLI)At this shorter length, 5-23 would be completely detached from the in Moline, IL, the opposite was true. The Midwestern airportother two primary runways. recently resolved a long-standing safety issue by shortening itsAs an active pilot who had often used this runway, I knew there general aviation runway.was little need for a 5,000-foot general aviation runway, Leischner Until last year, MLI was one of the few remaining U.S. airportsexplains. By completely separating 5-23 from the commercial with three runways intersecting in the middle of the airfield, formingtraffic, we would, in effect, create a new campus at the south end an undesirable bullseye. In addition to causing safety concernsof the airfield to serve just general aviation and other clients. and not passing muster with the FAA, the bullseye layout wasThe FAA, however, did not want to fund a new project revolving inefficient. Commercial aircraft had long, circuitous taxi routessolely around a third runway. In fact, much to the airports chagrin, to reach the 10,000-foot primary runway (9-27) or 7,300-footit wanted to eliminate the third runway completely. secondary runway (13-31). The general aviation runway (5-23) crossed both of the main runways, and general aviation pilotsWe did not want to lose our third runway, emphasizes often encountered commercial traffic whenLeischner. It had been reconstructed in 2008, and was still innavigating the intersection.good condition. When Executive Director Benjamin LeischnerDetermined to save Runway 5-23, the project team devised a was hired in 2018, addressing the airfieldway to show FAA officials they could get more bang for the buck configuration was a top priority. Even before Iby decoupling the runways and adding several other improvements came aboard, the FAA had been putting increasingthat could be completed at the same time. The key element of pressure on us to solve this issue, he explains.MLIs revised proposal involved reconfiguring several shorter BENJAMIN LEISCHNER taxiways and creating one long, straight taxiway running parallel to Targeting the Bullseye Runway 9-27. The project team also proposed improving the sewer Leischner promptly consulted his staff and engineering/design firmsystem; updating airfield lighting, signage, pavement markings and Crawford, Murphy & Tilly, and the project team developed a plan tonavigation aids; and adding a couple new taxiways. May | June 2023AirportImprovement.com'