An F-35A Lightning II fighter jet flies over Westfield Barnes Air National Guard Base, May 9, 2023. (Leon Nguyen, The Republican/TNS)
WESTFIELD, Mass. (Tribune News Service) — Civilian and military officials broke ground Monday — the first real day of construction — on a $32 million expansion and rebuilding of “Taxiway B South” at Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport and Barnes Air National Guard Base.
The initiative, expected to be completed by the end of 2024, is the largest single infrastructure project in the 100-year history of the airfield, officials said. And it is the latest in about $63 million in public, military and private construction at the 1,200-acre airport, said Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport Manager Christopher Willenborg.
That includes $15 million to $20 million in private investment for five new aircraft hangars. It also includes the $4.7 million Taxiway Sierra project completed in 2022, the $7.6 million Runway 15-33 project and the military-funded $4.5 million entrance gate for the Air National Guard Base on Southampton Road (Routes 10 and 202).
The Pentagon announced plans 13 months ago to locate 18 of its $78 million, latest-generation F-35 fighters at the Air National Guard’s 104th Fighter Wing in Westfield beginning in 2025 or early 2026. The new fighters will replace its aging fleet of F-15 fighters, guaranteeing the future of the base and the 104th for 40 years, the expected life of the program.
The arrival of the F-35s in Westfield is spurring construction.
This newest project, “Taxiway B South,” is the taxiway running parallel to Runway 2-20 and is used by civilian and military aircrafts taking off and landing. But it is too narrow, Willenborg said. The new taxiway will have more space to alleviate bottlenecks and make the airport safer.
Funding for the taxiway comes from the Federal Aviation Administration, the Air National Guard, the Department of the Defense and the Aeronautics Division of the state’s Department of Transportation.
“As a longtime supporter of Barnes and the capable airmen and women who support and defend the Commonwealth and this nation, I was thrilled to join Adjutant General [Gary] Keefe and Colonel [David] Halasi-Kun last May to announce the assignment of a new fleet of F-35A aircraft to Barnes,” said U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Mass. “Just one year later, we are breaking ground on a project that will prepare Barnes to receive the new aircraft, guaranteeing the long-term viability of the base and ensuring the 104th Fighter Wing can continue its vital mission for years to come.”
The Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport is a significant transportation asset and economic engine for Western Massachusetts. It supports about 2,100 direct and indirect jobs and has an annual economic output of $236 million, according to Willenborg.
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