Base construction projects making progress

  • Published
  • By 1st Lt. Lisa Kostellic
  • 23rd Wing Public Affairs
MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. --  The 23rd Civil Engineer Squadron here has been making steady progress on numerous base infrastructure projects and more are slated to begin during the rest of the year. 

"I think everyone on base sees the huge amount of parking lot and storm drainage construction now underway, said William S. Bryan, 23rd CES chief engineer. "These are large projects that took years to plan, design and now construct."

Construction projects around the base include a $1.1 million storm drainage project to correct base flooding problems, which has caused minor driving inconveniences around base.

"Only about half of the excavation has been accomplished," said Bryan. "There will still be more digging around billeting, the wing headquarters, along Savannah Street across from the baseball fields and at the intersection of Savannah and Hickam Streets. The inconvenience and detours are a necessary part of the long term solution." 

Weather has delayed some of the digging for sewer improvement causing the need for extended detours.

"Continued vigilence is needed from the Moody community as our work progresses and traffic is detoured around work sites," said Lt. Col. Greg A. Williams, 23rd CES commander.  

In addition to improving storm drainage, more than $4 million is going towards road and parking lot paving.

"Hickam Street is complete except for some minor cleanup work," said Bryan. "The parking lot adjacent to the two-story dormitories and billeting has had all of the utilities relocated, demolition of old pavement complete, underground drainage installed and about half of the new pavement completed. Also, the parking around the Moody Field Club and 23rd Medical Group are rapidly completing. Asphalt finally went down with only the landscaping and lighting to finish the project."

According to Bryan, there are other major projects planned for the coming year.

"During the coming weeks, installation of new bollards at the north gate will cause outbound traffic to slow down due to only one lane at a time being open," said Bryan.

Security Forces will open the cemetery gate past the 71st Rescue Squadron at the northeast end of the flightline for outbound traffic each afternoon during this time. 

Other projects include:

- A new 120-person dormitory across from the base exchange.
- An A-10 Jet Engine Shop.
- A new off-base access road south of the base off of Bemiss Street.
- A new main gate on the southwest corner of the base, which will provide state-of-the-art security to our main base entry point.

Currently, there are contract bids out for the first phase of the new base heritage center sited in the ellipse adjacent to the wing headquarters, which will be focal point for the center of the base and provide static displays of historic aircraft and a small conference center decorated with pictures, artifacts and mementos of the Flying Tigers, combat search and rescue and security forces warriors.

"We also have major renovations and additions to the Base Exchange and Commissary underway," said Bryan.

There are numerous projects slated for next fiscal year as a result of the BRAC moves of additional people to Moody.

"We'll be expanding the Child Development Center, Dental Clinic, family and single billeting and finally building Community Center additions to the Bowling Center and Freedom II gymnasium," said Bryan.