Airport Advisory Board reviews emergency response simulation, considers retaining wall replacement project

The Pitkin County Airport Advisory Board meeting began as it normally does — with public comment and approval of the previous meeting’s minutes.

After these formalities, an emergency response team, made up of several different local and more regional organizations, was introduced to present on Pitkin County’s triennial emergency response drill, a drill that occurs every three years as required by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The organizations — Sardy Field Fire Department, Aspen Airport Operations, Facilities and Administrative Staff, Pitkin County Sheriff Office, Aspen Fire Protection District, Aspen Ambulance District, Roaring Fork Fire Rescue Authority, and Carbondale and Rural Fire Protection District — came together for a day back in June that was intended to simulate a crash at the Pitkin County airport.

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“The purpose of the training is to make sure that Pitkin County can handle a crash,” Andrew Treat, ASE ARFF Captain and Aspen Airport Team said.

Volunteers, which included Aspenites of all ages with special effects blood and wounds on them, acted as victims with varying severity in injuries. Participants gave feedback on what the emergency response team can work on in the future, like communication channels, transportation routes, and quicker reaction times for certain teams.

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A full report with feedback will be released at a later time.

The retaining wall

A pair of engineers were also introduced at the meeting to go over plans to replace a retaining wall on the east side of the airport. The wall needs to be replaced regardless of any future runway or airport plans that may be approved.

The wall was originally constructed in 2005, and the design was common in Colorado during that time. However, it is not draining, is experiencing base failure, and is bulging at certain points.

In 2020, white patches appeared on the wall, which indicated poor drainage. This is made worse with the thaw-and-freeze cycles Aspen experiences. Repairs were made at the time, but they are not holding. There are also utility boxes near the wall that are in danger of damage due to the deteriorating wall.

Engineer Amy Backel, P.E., presented several alternatives to the board: soil nails, helical anchors, and large blocks.

A helical anchor is a technique that puts a new wall face on top of the old one. 

“The old wall can just go about their deterioration, and the new structure handles the load,” she said.

The new wall face will be about a foot in front of the old wall. A drain will be incorporated to ensure drainage issues will not continue in the future. The new wall will be a shock creek finish, which is customizable in stain, pattern and color.

Another solution is to remove the wall as construction work goes: remove the old wall, remove soil, apply soil nails, apply new wall. The large blocks will create a gravity wall system. Bottom blocks weight around a ton, but anchors the rest of the wall.

Whether the soil needs to be removed is up to a geotechnician. One will come out to test the soil once a plan has been decided. The geotechnician will see if the soil is what is causing the drainage problem in the old wall. If not, the soil can stay behind the wall. If so, the soil needs to be removed completely.

Backel believes that this is the best option. However, it is also the longest construction option at about two months. If the soil does not need to be removed it will cost around $226,000. If the soil does need to be removed it will cost around $250,000.

The airport advisory board will discuss which plan they want to move forward with and let the engineers know.

Other business discussed was the sign that caught on fire last month, changing flight plans in the fall, and the Airport Layout Plan going to the Denver FAA.

Regan Mertz can be reached at 970-429-9153 or rmertz@aspentimes.com.