The most direct way to reach Northeast Wyoming Regional Airport in Gillette is to turn off Highway 14-16 onto Airport Road. Then, take the first right onto Airport Road, or you also can continue going straight on Airport Road.
But to reach the GateOne office at the airport, don’t turn left onto Airport Road to stay on Airport Road. Take the next right to get onto Airport Road, then take the next left onto Airport Road. Otherwise, you’ll have to turn onto Airport Road to get back to Airport Road and start again.
What’s so confusing about that?
While it makes sense that the main access to the airport is Airport Road, that it then branches off into other roads that, for some reason, also are all called Airport Road.
Saying it shouldn’t take a flight dispatcher, compass and divining rod to navigate vehicles through and around Northeast Wyoming Regional Airport, Executive Director Todd Chatfield said he’s determined to fix the naming kerfuffle.
“There's only one name for all our roads right now, and that's Airport Road,” he told Cowboy State Daily. “They’re not divided up, so we only have one road right now. There's just no way to find where you're going.”
That’s why Chatfield is working with multiple Campbell County agencies to rechristen sections of Airport Road for safety and efficiency.
Safety First
The all-for-one and one-for-all Airport Road might be amusing for anyone who isn’t trying to find their way to and around Gillette’s airport. However, the ongoing confusion presents a serious safety hazard, Chatfield said.
“We can't have five roads with all the same name,” he said. “It's impossible for EMS and other emergency services to know where to go.”
The risk of a hypothetical EMS catastrophe because of the confusion has been demonstrated by the everyday problems created by the current Airport Road. Chatfield said it’s a logistical nightmare for deliveries.
“When people come to do deliveries — UPS, FedEx, places like that — they have no idea where they're going,” he said. “They drive in on Airport Road, then one of the other roads that go off to our hangars or something that's also called Airport Road.”
Chatfield is working with the Campbell Planning and Zoning Department to determine new names for easier navigation through the airport complex. The Campell County Fire Department, Sheriff’s Office and Emergency Medical Services also are weighing in.
The main road to Northeast Wyoming Regional Airport right off U.S. Highway 14-16 will remain Airport Road. Names for the new road segments include Terminal Loop, Hangar Way, Aviation Avenue and Aero Drive.
“There'll be four roads all together,” Chatfield said. “We won’t have five roads with the same name.”
Signs Of The Times
The labyrinthine conundrum of Airport Road is a relatively new problem at Northeast Wyoming Regional Airport. It’s a natural consequence of the airport's rapid development in recent years, with more projects already underway.
Chatfield said there’s been a resurgence of demand and interest in Gillette’s airport. One of the latest additions is a new fixed-base operator terminal.
“Our old terminal was pieced together in the 1970s,” he said. “It wasn’t ADA compliant anymore, and the HVAC systems had to get up to compliance. That would cost us more than a new building, so we built one.”
There’s also a growing demand for more private hangers. Chatfield said the airport’s hanger waiting list already has 12 names, with more expected.
“We had people approaching us who wanted a new hangar, so we had to get more ground ready, and new hangers are being built,” he said. “We’ve run out of places where we've been building hangers in the last 20 years, so now we have a new development going in.”
A local oil and gas company has plans to build a new 10,000-square-foot hanger at the airport. Construction on the hanger is scheduled to begin in June.
For Chatfield, it’s an exciting time for Northeast Wyoming Regional Airport and Gillette. That’s why it’s no longer practical for every airport road to be Airport Road.
“We’re excited to be growing,” he said. “There are more companies around that are expanding and getting in by and planes, and they need a place to park them. And just like any other town or city, when you keep growing, you can't have all the same road names.”
Andrew Rossi can be reached at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com.
