Riverside Airport Expansion Plan Scrapped After Community Pushback

One of the proposals to expand a runway at Tulsa riverside airport is no longer on the table. This comes after dozens of people in Jenks, including the mayor, spoke out against it.

"Aviation is currently the second largest part of the Oklahoma economy and we want to do our part to ensure that we can provide the next generation to keep that going strong," said Airport manager, Austin Wheeler.

He said they want to prepare for future growth of Tulsa Riverside Airport, which is the busiest airport in Oklahoma. But a recent part of the master plan to extend one of its runways 900 feet to the south was met with negative feedback from the Jenks community.

"It would have a pretty big impact to 91st street down here on the south side of the airport and like I said due to the feedback we got at our public meeting, decided it would probably be the best idea to take that out of the plan," Wheeler said.

Wheeler said in addition to the high cost, the expansion would have also impacted South Lakes Golf Course just on the other side of 91st street.

Jenks mayor Cory Box said he wants to see this airport grow and flourish, just not at the expense of a heavily used golf course.

"There's so many things that happen on that golf course every year ... so it is a pivotal part of what Jenks is and we bring a lot of business into town because of the golf course," said Mayor Box.

Box said he recognizes the economic impact the airport provides Jenks, but its effects on the road and golf course were non-starters.

"There's just so many external problems that exist in making that runway bigger in any direction, ya know I can't wait to see what they come up with, and just like the rest of the public look forward to seeing what they're going to show us in the third public meeting," said Box.

There's no date set for that third public meeting, but Wheeler said it will happen within a month or so.