They Said It Couldn't Be Done -- Update On New Williston Airport -- July 29, 2016

Project location: http://xwaproject.com/usrfiles/cp/Project_Location.pdf.
Final master plan, April, 2016: http://xwaproject.com/usrfiles/cp/Final_XWA_Master_Plan_5-16.pdf.

From The Williston Wire:

It has been a big week for the new Williston Basin International Airport project. The airport is moving from the land acquisition phase to the construction phase as the property owners signed purchase agreements from the City of Williston and a ceremonial ground breaking was scheduled for Oct. 10, 2016.

Federal, state and local dignitaries have been invited to the historic endeavor that is being called "Taking Flight." Watch for more details in the Williston Wire. 

The Williston Herald is reporting:

Construction is officially due to start on Williston's new airport this fall. Airport and city officials say purchase agreements are signed for about 1,500 acres of land, and a groundbreaking date has been set for October. Negotiations with eight landowners wrapped up in mid-July, clearing the way for the relocation project to move into its first building phase. Officials, citing various loose ends that have yet to be finalized in the deals, won't yet say how much the city paid for the tracts of farm and pasture land.

And this:

In the meantime, bidding will start on several facets of construction, including the terminal building foundation, preliminary road construction and other staging areas. Those projects are expected to be complete by the end of this year.

Grading work and a re-route of 59th Street will also be up for bid this year, bringing 2016’s construction costs to $18.5 million. 

Kjergaard, who was among a group from Williston that met with members of the Federal Aviation Administration in Washington, D.C., earlier this month, said project heads are hoping to pay for the first phase of construction with federal money.

The project’s total price tag has dropped to an estimated $240 million, down from $265 million that the city was banking on several weeks ago.

As a reminder, here is the link to the Williston Airport Relocation page.