No Elevated Runway at FLL

The FAA is nearing its' Record of Decision regarding the proposed elevated runway at Fort Lauderdale International Airport.

This monster runway, (Roughly equal to a 3.6 mile section of the Great Wall of China) if it passes, will be elevated 8 feet at the west end to allow vertical clearance over I-95, and will run uphill over a distance of approximately 8000 feet to an elevation of 43 feet at the east end, passing over US 1 and the Florida East Coast Railroad tracks slightly east of the midpoint.

The bridges to span US 1 and the FEC tracks will be equivalent to 5 stories in height, and will allow aircraft to pass over the traffic below with the FEC tracks being routed through approximately a 1000 foot long tunnel.

There are many options open for expansion at FLL that do not pose the environmental threat, the projected cost of a billion dollars, or the risks involved in this "lack of plan".

An elevated runway presents some inherent safety risks, but when you add slope and bridges into the equation, the risks jump immensely.

1.      The risk of terrorist bombing of a 5 story bridge over a six-lane highway at the time a jumbo aircraft is approaching the bridge is extremely high, and could cause hundreds of deaths and injuries both in the aircraft and in vehicular traffic on the ground below, to say nothing of the millions of dollars in damages to infrastructure and equipment.

2.      With the variable winds in the Fort Lauderdale area, the high probability of rainstorms and the sudden wind gusts, sometimes violent, the risks of accident on the runway are particularly high.

3.  With the runway being elevated to the extent required, the obstacles faced by fire           and rescue and triage crews in reaching an accident scene on the runway are      nearly insurmountable.

·        An accident on the runway resulting in a fire presents the problem of leaking fuel running down the runway spreading fire as it goes, meaning that the fire must be extinguished before rescue and triage can be attempted.

·        An accident that forces an aircraft off the runway, such as a crosswind gust in a rainstorm, would result in the aircraft plunging down an embankment, increasing the damage and possible injuries and increasing difficulties in reaching the accident scene.

·        An accident anywhere on the runway would mean that fire and rescue and triage teams would have to climb the embankment with rescue vehicles and equipment or drive around the taxi-ways to reach the scene, resulting in a loss of valuable time.

      4.   An aircraft overshooting the runway in a westerly direction could pass through the          EMAS system and end up in the Dania Cutoff Canal, or worse, on I-95.

With the airlines laying-off personnel and downsizing, some leaving FLL for other terminals, and some airlines anticipating bankruptcy, as well as the high cost of fuel reducing the overall number of flights, there is little or no proven need for any expansion.

Please join with us in telling the FAA that this runway is not the most viable option for the expansion of FLL