PULLMAN, Wash. (AP) — Plans to expand the runway at the Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport have hit a snag, as the proposal could lead to the demolition of dozens of buildings at Washington State University.
Airport manager Tony Bean says the airport needs to lengthen and widen its main runway under Federal Aviation Administration rules because it is being served by larger planes.
An offer by the airport to buy about 100 acres of land from WSU to accommodate the larger runway was rejected because the land includes about 40 buildings involved in millions of dollars’ worth of research.
The university is preparing a counter-offer. Both sides are trying to work out a deal.
The airport is a major transportation lifeline for Pullman, home to Washington State, and Moscow, Idaho, home to the University of Idaho.
