Pensacola Regional Airport Runway Construction …
Back before the Pensacola International Airport became ” International “, it was called the Pensacola Regional Airport. Sometime in the 1950’s, the airport runways were resurfaced and extended. This series of images shows the construction resurfacing process … I wish I new more about them, but I do not. I know that there is a lot more to it than just mixing up a batch of concrete and making sure that it is level. The strength of the concrete is determined by the ratio of sand to rocks and water, the amount of cement mix is a big factor and I am sure there are many other things that I have not mentioned, since I am not an engineer or claim to be. I always enjoyed this type of photographic work, since it was something that I knew nothing about but was interested in how things work. Hey, that could be the title of a tv show explaining how things are built and constructed … I might be on to something! Most all of the images are pretty self-explanatory, so I am going to dispense with the running commentary and stupid comments. Here we go:
The last two images maybe should have been shown earlier in the process, but it is what it is. The images of them unloading the equipment off of the barges was no where near where the airport runway is located, so my only guess that either they were taken at the Port of Pensacola or somewhere else in Pensacola Bay. But as usual, I do not know. If you look close in some of the photos you see the airport tower and the airport itself way in the background. I wish that I had some other photos of the airport itself, but I have pretty much posted everything that I have found taken at the airport. If any of you have anything of the Pensacola Airport from back in the 1950’s and 60’s, I would be interested in seeing what you have. Thanks for looking and please check back and don’t forget that I have my personal blog that you can get to by clicking on a link on the right side of the screen. Wishing everyone a happy New Year … Frank
Frank Hardy Made My Photographs Two 
Without saying anything about it, I showed by husband one of the photos. He said re-building a road. Is it I-10? I said why I-10, thinking he was going to say because of the pines. He said because it’s concrete. I said close – Pensacola airport.
Thanks for sharing. We enjoy seeing our hometown.
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dixies1@aol.com
January 2, 2015 at 10:55 am
Thanks for the comment Dixie … I can see how he thought that it was the construction of I-10, especially with the pine trees on the side in the background. The negative envelope had the name of the construction company ( which I did not bother to mention ) and also that it was airport runway construction. The year might have been on it, but I do not feel like hunting down the negative envelope and looking. Sometime in the next few years I am going to make a project of cataloging all of negatives and putting them in some order that anyone can locate a negative easily. The interstate construction with concrete was not solid stretches of concrete like the runway, but were “slabs” of concrete butted up next to one another. Just like the I-10 bridge over Escambia Bay were sections placed on the pilings. When the tidal wave came up into Escambia Bay, it lifted the sections off of their pilings, not breaking out or off sections that were weak. At least that was how it was explained to me. Thanks for commenting and please check back and have a Happy New Year … Frank
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Frank Hardy
January 2, 2015 at 11:28 am