The Third Runway at Sea-Tac Airport is obsolete!

Managerial ego trips and bad political decisions have screwed up the third runway design from the very beginnings. Billions of precious taxpayer dollars have been squandered due to those blunders!

At Sea-Tac the first runway is used for aircraft takeoffs and the second runway is used for aircraft landings. During peak periods, either runway can be placed in service for either takeoffs or landings. Both runways are long and considered "all weather" runways.

The first runway cannot be used while aircraft from are crossing the runway in transit to or from the terminal or the second runway.

The third runway is being built on the wrong side of the terminal and is too short. Therefore, the third runway can be used only during slack periods as the first and second long runways cannot be used while slow moving third runway aircraft are crossing those two runways.

The Port Commission should have consulted some good highway engineers before they bought the third runway design as Sea-Tac airport may end up with more aircraft traffic lights than drivers face in downtown Seattle.

During the 1990s the third runway was proposed to be 7,500 feet long. The airline associations protested, as the runway would be too short and only suitable for white-knuckle landings.

The Port Commission compromised with the 8,500 feet design. Several months ago it was brought to the Port Commissioners' attention that the FAA now requires a 400-foot strip of crushable concrete at each end of new under construction runways. This is a major passenger and aircraft safety requirement. This requirement effectively reduces the third runway length back to the short white knuckle landing size.

The Port Commission has not responded.

Dan Caldwell

Des Moines