TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --
A $9.7 million four-gate construction project is set to kick off in mid-January that will enhance the security on Tinker Air Force Base.
Over a three-year period, four gates will close one at a time, in order to meet with Department of Defense facility criteria for entry control points.
Capt. Michael Olson, operations officer with the 72nd Security Forces Squadron, said that while it may sound initially like an inconvenience, the project will increase security, the ability to maintain access control and provide time savings in some commutes.
“We’ll be opening a temporary gate (Pegasus Gate, south of the Gott Gate on South Air Depot) to facilitate access to base while the project is underway,” Olson said. “This allows for better coverage and better security, which is our priority.”
The majority of the construction will involve the southern perimeter of the installation. Gott Gate, which will close at 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 12, will be the first to receive the facelift. After that gate’s upgrades, which are anticipated to take 11 months, the focus will shift directly east to the Truck Gate followed by the Piazza Gate, and then the Eaker Gate.
The gate construction will be done sequentially in order to maintain the flow of traffic as well as the manpower and resources. Eaker’s start date will depend upon the completion of the ongoing construction on Arnold Avenue.
The most visible enhancement will be serpentine “s-curves,” currently installed at some of the other gates on the installation. Making these upgrades requires repaving and expansion of roadways affected. Serpentines, the cement “s-curves” that help hinder the driver’s ability to accelerate, will be added. The Gott Gate, which opens directly into the 72nd Medical Group, will force the closure of one parking lot entrance after the roadway is redone, but multiple entrances will still be accessible from both sides.
Situated between the Gott Gate and Interstate 240, the Pegasus Gate will open on Jan. 16 and used for the duration of the project. Personal vehicles will be able to access the Pegasus Gate from South Air Depot Boulevard, 1/4 mile south of the Gott Gate. The Pegasus Gate will maintain operational hours of Monday through Friday, from 5:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
When the Gott Gate closes, the Piazza Gate will remain operational 24 hours a day. Additional gate openings and hours will be posted as the Gott Gate project completes in November 2018.
Olson said adequate signage will clearly designate where to go and not go during the construction phases, and alternate routes will be available. A traffic light is also going to be added on South Air Depot, right outside the temporary Pegasus Gate.
Base officials are encouraging members of Team Tinker to consider the safety concern for all, and that the closure of heavy-trafficked gates may at first be troublesome. But with most cases, the change just takes getting used to and figuring out an alternative solution.
Olson said it may require individuals to leave a couple minutes earlier, or to take a different route, but the ability to increase the security of the 30,000 individuals who live, work and play on Tinker Air Force Base is critical in keeping our installation safe.