The V.I. Port Authority’s governing board approved more than a million dollars in new and amended contract work for airport infrastructure on St. Thomas and St. Croix during its November meeting Wednesday, green-lighting several projects tied to federal compliance and long-planned construction.

VIPA Director of Engineering Preston Byer began with a request for additional funding to complete the final design for demolishing and rebuilding the Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting station at Cyril E. King Airport. A task order of $893,100 for Stantec had been authorized in January, he explained, but “the issuance of this task order to Stantec was delayed until a funding source for construction could be identified and programmed.” In the time since the delay, “there was an increase in pricing for Stantec labor and sub-consultants,” along with “additional scope identified that would be needed to be included.”

The revised task order, now capped at $1,098,123.77, received board approval.

Board members also authorized a $139,797 task order for Moffat & Nichols to complete an environmental assessment and prepare a solicitation package for shoreline stabilization at the airport’s fuel farm. Byer said the project, funded through a U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration grant, will repair “approximately 500 linear feet of shoreline adjacent to the fuel farm facility at the Cyril E. King Airport.” He noted the work is necessary to ensure that “this critical transportation infrastructure continues to be protected in the event of high wave action marine conditions.”

A third St. Thomas-related approval involved an amendment to VIPA’s existing contract with Hi-Lite Airfield Services for airfield marking maintenance. The amended agreement, capped at $210,293.50, will cover work required to correct deficiencies identified during a recent Federal Aviation Administration inspection, Byer told the board.

Attention then turned to St. Croix, where Henry Rohlsen Airport also requires updates to airfield markings. The board approved a change order to an existing contract with Virgin Islands Paving for additional FAA compliance work. The modification adds $149,867.95 to the project cost.

Board members raised no objections to any of the proposals and voted unanimously to authorize all expenditures presented by Byer, citing the necessity of ongoing maintenance and improvements at the territory’s two airports.