Jackson County Airport in Walden, Colorado, has finished a major reconstruction of its runway 4/22. The project aimed to improve safety and efficiency for aviation users throughout the North Park region. The airport is located about one mile north of Walden and serves rural northwestern Colorado by supporting recreational flying, business travel, aerial firefighting, air ambulance services, and tourism. The reconstruction involved rebuilding the 5,900-foot runway with a stronger pavement base, an improved surface, and updated safety markings.
Kent Holsinger, Chair of the Colorado Aeronautical Board, said, “The Walden-Jackson County Airport is an essential lifeline for our community, not only for business and tourism but also for emergency services like aerial firefighting and medical flights. We’re extremely grateful and proud of the new runway and the dividends are sure to last for decades.”
Maria De Cambra, Executive Director of the Department of Local Affairs (DOLA), stated, “DOLA is proud to come together with our partners at the Colorado Department of Transportation for a total of $5.3 million in grant funding so the Jackson County airport has the infrastructure necessary to effectively serve the broader community. Investments like this demonstrate the state’s commitment to rural Colorado, and making strides so that the same safe, modern infrastructure is available everywhere.”
CDOT Executive Director Shoshana Lew commented on the collaboration: “CDOT and our Aeronautics Division are proud to have joined our partners at DOLA and Jackson County to collaborate on funding this impactful project at the Walden/Jackson County Airiport. As the primary airport for rural north-central Colorado, this new runway will allow the airport to continue to provide safe and efficient access for aerial firefighting operations, emergency air ambulance and other critical aviation services.”
