Area airports plan, complete major improvement projects

Nearly $39 million in construction projects are planned at Reno-Tahoe International Airport in the next couple of years.

Improvement projects have been recently completed, or are in the planning stages, at other airports in the region as well.

Projects on the books at Reno-Tahoe International include:

* A $6 million project to refurbish the terminal, work that's scheduled to begin in September.

* A $13 million "checkpoint of the future" project scheduled for 2012. The work will include major redesign of restaurants and other concession areas.

* A $9 million building to store snow-removal equipment. That's a 2012 project.

* A $3.4 million project scheduled for 2012 for extension of a taxiway on the east side of the airport.

At the Carson City Airport, meanwhile, work recently was completed on a $1.6 million project to improve taxiways and runway connections.

The airport has invested more than $9 million in improvements in the past couple of years, including a newly aligned runway that was built after removal of a hill on the southeast corner of the facility.

Airport Manager Tim Rowe says development of a new terminal building with meeting rooms remains on the to-do list.

At Minden-Tahoe Airport, meanwhile, planning is under way for development of a privately funded Aviation Center, including a museum that celebrates soaring and community meeting space. Organizers hope for a 2016 ribbon-cutting.

The Silver Springs Airport took a major step a year ago with completion of a 10,000-gallon fuel station.

The $200,000 project was funded by grants from the Federal Aviation Administration along with money from the Nevada Aviation Trust Fund and Lyon County.

Next up at the airport between Dayton and Fallon is a museum that will feature displays of military aircraft as well as other vehicles.