FORT RUCKER, Ala. -- The main gate to Cairns Army Airfield will be closed Nov. 11-14 so the contractors can safely erect a new canopy.
"For the safety of the contract and airfield workers, we have to close down the gate so there is no traffic during that time," said John Tkac, chief of physical security for the Directorate of Public Safety.
The weekend was chosen because airfield operations will be at a minimum.
"Closing the front gate on Veteran's Day weekend provides the smallest impact and the least amount of disruption to the users of Cairns Army Airfield," said Capt. Jesse Blanton, 1st Battalion, 223rd Aviation Regiment, Headquarters and Headquarters Company commander.
The gate will close at midnight Nov. 10 and will re-open at 12:01 a.m. Nov. 15. Traffic will be re-routed to an alternate gate (Gate 7) to Cairns.
Military Police will post a road or gate closed sign at the entrance to Cairns and detour signs along the route to the alternate gate.
"Personnel who are working at Cairns should plan their travel accordingly," said Tkac.
This is just another step in a series of improvements being made to enhance security at the airfield, he added.
The construction is part of the Corps of Engineers' access control point-equipment program, automated installation entry project. The contractor is laying the foundation and infrastructure for the AIE portion to be awarded later on, Tkac said.
The AIE consists of presence detectors that are connected to a gate with an arm that will allow one car at a time to enter the airfield after proceeding past the gate guard, he said. Additionally, there is a guard rail that keeps people from attempting to drive around traffic.
"If someone were to try to run the gate, an active vehicle barrier pops out of the ground (and stops the intruder)," Tkac said. "All of these measures improve airfield protection by restricting access to the people and equipment on Cairns Airfield."
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