11
AirportImprovement.com      October 2026
RUNWAYS 
SAT
And while no one knew so before the project was planned, the 
early March conclusion of SAT-prompted restrictions on Joint Base 
San Antonio meshed perfectly with heightened military activity 
stemming from the Feb. 28 start of the United States’ war with 
Iran. 
“It’s no easy task,” Saenz says. “Having the right people in the 
room to make decisions; a true collaborative spirit as it relates 
to design and the work to be performed; and then being able to 
execute on that from a construction standpoint— that’s what gets 
us what [successes] we’re getting.”
Alternative Delivery Method Paves the Way 
Still, as 20th century French aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry once 
surmised, “A goal without a plan is just a wish.”  
From early on, SAT’s team knew a conventional construction 
approach—design, bid, build—would not meet its needs, nor 
those of its military neighbors. That’s why Saenz, Tamang and 
others sought FAA’s permission to use the CMAR delivery method.
Under CMAR, a project owner hires one firm to design a 
project, then negotiates a separate concurrent contract with 
a construction manager-at-risk, or CMAR, to perform tasks 
associated with construction. These parties are contractually 
bound to work together from the design phase onward, and to 
establish a maximum guaranteed price for the work.
When executed effectively, CMAR can mitigate cost risks and 
abbreviate construction timelines. 
For Runway 13R-31L, SAT selected Kimley-Horn as lead 
designer with assistance from Jacobs (electrical), Maestas 
(surveying) and Foster CM Group (construction design). Austin 
Bridge & Road was hired as the CMAR agent, handling tasks such 
as scheduling, procurement packages and scope of work planning. 
Austin Bridge & Road, a leader in the heavy highway and 
transportation infrastructure industry for more than 100 years, 
was later selected under a separate bid process to serve as the 
airport’s primary contractor, a variation of CMAR delivery known 
as Construction Manager/General Contractor, 
or CM/GC.
Brian Salerno, president of Austin Bridge & 
Road, notes that CMAR has long been widely 
adopted for vertical airport projects, such as 
terminal and other structures, but it remains 
far less common for horizontal surface work 
and other civil projects at airports. 
Planning & Environmental
Design & Engineering
Security, Support & Maintenance
Technology Solutions
LAX, Midfield Satellite Concourse
LAX Rent-A-Car Facility 
 v
Scan to connect with our
National Aviation Experts
BRIAN SALERNO

View this content as a flipbook by clicking here.