FRANKLIN TWP, Beaver County — Although permits have not been approved for the Zelienople Municipal Airport, officials are optimistic they can gather public support for their plan.

The airport plans call for realigning Route 288 and building an education center in the adjacent wetlands to make way for a runway expansion project that could be constructed in 2018.

The runway's length will increase from 4,933 feet to 5,565 feet long and be widened from 75 feet to 100 feet per guidelines from the Federal Aviation Administration.

Airport manager Dave Holman said the airport had to address 13 issues identified by the state Department of Environmental Protection.

“We addressed all those things and resubmitted it to the DEP a couple days before Thanksgiving,” Holman said. “We didn't really expect anything between Thanksgiving and the first of the year. Hopefully, we'll hear from them in January.”

Officials said the education center in the wetlands will be a safe distance from the airport and will not affect the nearby Hereford Manor Lakes restoration project. The airport is working with the Beaver County Conservation District for the education center.

Holman said the wetlands portion of the overall project is “way behind.” Despite being ready to work, the airport needs permit approval from the DEP to begin construction.

“We wanted to be in there actually constructing that project in 2016,” Holman said. “And here we are at the end of December.”

Officials said the airport also needs approval from the FAA, the state Fish and Boat Commission and the state Department of Transportation, among others, for other portions of the project.

The airport also is working on claiming old strip mining areas that will be used to deposit dirt moved with Route 288's realignment.

Russ Robertson, a member of the Zelienople Airport Authority, said working with multiple government agencies is “a slow, slow process.”

“Our vision is to give more and more capability to the private jet business,” said Russ Robertson, board member of the Zelienople Airport Authority. “Once you begin to have private jets, FAA says there are additional safety requirements they want us to implement.”

However, Robertson also said the airport authority is optimistic and garnering more support for the expansion.

“We're getting people to nod their heads and smiling with us, not being negative,” Robertson said. “That's a huge comfort factor.”

Officials want Route 288 to be realigned, calling the current alignment “an obstruction to air traffic.” The road's elevation will also be lowered.

Holman previously said while the highway will not be closed during the realignment, motorists might face stop-and-go conditions. He said this is according to preliminary engineering for the project.

“That's moving forward,” he said. “We have our first big scope meeting with PennDOT and all their people on Jan. 11.”

Despite the slowed rate in progress, Robertson said this comes at “a good time” since work cannot be performed in winter anyway.

The airport is “in the process” of applying for more grants to fund the expansion. It has applied for two capital budget projects through the office of state Sen. Elder Vogel, R-47th.

The airport received grants earlier this year of $375,000 to build a new fueling facility for jets and $2.24 million to realign part of Route 288.

Holman previously said the expansion is expected to create about 40 jobs and retain a total of 60 jobs.

Other goals for the expansion include demolishing old hangars, building new hangars and increasing jet services.