SANTA FE TO ADDRESS EXPANSION COSTS AT REGIONAL AIRPORT

An expansion project planned for the Santa Fe Regional Airport is currently on hold due to bid pricing far exceeding the city’s estimated costs. While the city of Santa Fe anticipated budgeting around $10 million to complete the project, recent bids were received that require a budget of at least $20 million. The city intended to utilize $10.5 million secured from the legislature along with other supplied funding, but had not set any expectations for the higher bid pricing received at the end of September.

According to the Santa Fe Regional Airport Advisory Board, the increased pricing could be a reflection of rising costs associated with the pandemic’s impact on construction. The city is analyzing how to address the bid pricing and is working with its legal team to continue with the implementation of the expansion project. If a decision is made this month, it will then proceed to the city’s governing body for approval at which point the project would likely take an estimated 18 months for completion.