AVCON, INC. was recently selected by the Naples Airport Authority (NAA) to serve as the Airfield Lighting Replacement Consultant for the replacement of the airfield lighting systems and electrical vault at Naples Airport (APF), a necessary project for the airport in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian in September of 2022. The storm brought seawater flooding onto the airfield which damaged the existing lighting and signage as the waters infiltrated the infrastructure of the airfield. The existing airfield lighting vault narrowly escaped being flooded in its current location. The airfield lighting vault is a critical piece of any airport’s infrastructure, providing necessary electrical power to the signage on the airfield and control of the airfield lighting for runway and taxiway operations. A portion of this overall project entails a siting study to relocate the vault to a better-suited, more resilient location, considering the near miss of a flooding event.
The AVCON Team and NAA are working together to provide the airport with a resilient and sustainable airfield lighting system. These efforts include the airfield lighting, signage, and vault relocation to an elevated position. The first step in this process is investigative work, which will form the backbone of the design. This will comprise many different factors including but not limited to the existing topography, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Floodplain maps, and the existing airport utilities. The AVCON design team comprises project manager, Mark Goodacre, ACE, who has 40 years of industry experience including designing and replacing many airfield lighting systems and vaults throughout Florida; lead airfield lighting specialist, Carl Johnson, EC, ACE, and project engineers Lee Nemer, EI, ACE, and Stephanie Heagney. The team was recently at APF doing initial testing of the existing lighting and reviewing the possible relocation areas for a new electrical vault. The design is estimated to be completed in early 2024 with construction bids to follow. Keep up with more project information and updates as they happen by following along on AVCON’s media channels below.
Airport Improvement Magazine has also covered the initial recovery efforts and news for the Naples Airport Authority. Read that article here.
