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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend December 26, 2005 Airport traffic at all-time high By DAMIAN MANN Mail Tribune A streak of 23 record months has pushed the passenger count at the Medford airport to the highest levels ever. "We’re going to have a record year without even knowing what our December numbers are," said airport spokeswoman Kim Stearns. Without counting December traffic, 546,310 passengers arrived and departed from the airport this year. In 2004, which was also a record year, 532,194 passengers used the airport. If December 2005 has the same number of passengers as last year at 44,555, the airport would have just shy of 600,000 passengers total for the current year. Advertisement The busiest month ever recorded also occurred this year: August brought 60,148 passengers. Stearns said the number of flights coming and going this year also set record levels with 62 flights a day during the summer. In past years, the number of flights peaked at 56 on a daily basis. Because there are so many passengers, Stearns said the overflow parking lot has been filling up on a daily basis recently. In January, construction will begin on a new parking lot and entrance, at a cost of $6.2 million. About half of the project’s cost will be covered by federal transportation dollars and the remainder from airport reserves and fees. Motorists won’t see any big change until next spring or summer, when the existing entrance to the airport will be closed and drivers rerouted to Bullock Road, Lawnsdale Road or Terminal Spur Road. After the parking-lot phase is completed, construction will begin on a new terminal to deal with the greater passenger volume. Airport officials estimate that the expansion should cost about $35 million. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail Airport traffic at all-time high ">[email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker dvd-r Distance Education Computer Security Ztech Media Hosting Sports Equipment Student Loans Online Pharmacy tcg student loan consolidation Online Casino Reviews Myspace Home Equity Loans Windermere Van Vleet Deep Muscle Stimulator Discount Hotel Reservations Southern Oregon Loans Online Casino News Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Salvia Divinorum Online Casino Fundraisers Advertisement s