Entry 10 - Taking to the Skies! (5E137)
Heya, welcome back to Amesbury! It's been a few years and today we'll go through the last two major projects in Amesbury : the Wittenburg Turnpike and the Regional Airport (Amesbury Regional Airport - ARA)that comes with it! The town is now at more than 130.000 people! Is that a mistake? No! Internal migration and a reworking of municipal boundaries include more people now. Keep in mind there is a bigger work basin around Amesbury itself though. There is a 25% growth rate over five years, and even though it's got its ups and down, and that it's relatively slowing, Amesbury is now a noteworthy town, with noteworthy needs.
So let's get started!
In the last few years a few more high-rises have sprung up. From left to right, starting at the Chirper HQ building : the residential Alton Tower, Cubicle Inc. Tower and the Station Tower complex. The bus station has been reworked to allow more capacity and the bus network itself is being reworked; but we'll see that in another update.
To alleviate traffic issues on Wittenberg Avenue, a new north-south motorway is being built. The first section was opened and begins in the Highland Industrial Park.
The highway takes a turn north, with an exit at the edge of the Myrtle Heights neighbourhood.
A strip mall was built next to that exit, too. It's quite popular!
A view of that exit and of the interchange with the M2 motorway, while still under construction. Note the heavy traffic on Wittenberg Av.
In 5E136, the interchange with the motorway was completed! Because space is at a premium, the least costly and disruptive way was to stack two three-way interchanges next to one another. Whether traffic will benefit from it, now, that is a tricky question. In the short-term it will do.
In 5E136 still this is how far the Turnpike went : just shy of the road leading to Brownstone. Do notice the new residential developments springing around this motorway exit.
Next, we need to drag that turnpike across this vast expanse of free land. The airport will also be built here, as there are loads of free room for expansion and it remains close enough to downtown Amesbury. There will be some flattering required though.
Until then, we drag the turnpike until it reaches the shores of Lake Amery, where it merges with the PR-48 road between Wigston and northern Amesbury. It's still under construction : there are plans to expand the turnpike to the harbor area and the industrial estates by East Aylestone. However funds are running low and the harbor is still not being rebuilt; the plans must be shelved.
Yeah, let's talk about Wigston! It's a former village near Amesbury and we probably visited it long ago. It used to be a conglomeration of three villages, in fact, before it was integrated into the municipal area of Amesbury. All together, these villages made up 15.000 inhabitants! Wigston is the settlement closest to the airport, and there was a lot of opposition : noise pollution, but also the fact there is no direct road from the airport to Wigston planned, all contribute to this general feeling that it will be just a nuisance and will not benefit to the local economy. Baseless and obviously erroneous assumptions, the Municipal Council answered. It should be careful, though : each election the opposition party comes just a little bit closer to winning.
A little church to Zenithar, staffed by the Fair Work International Charity, makes for a serene scenery while people wait for a bus on Wigston's main street.
Wigston extends over the island north of it, called Blackmere Isle. It's quite hilly! One can see Lake Amery and the other side of the shoreline from here! What a peaceful sight. I might put a lighthouse there before long.
Overview of Blackmere Isle and the suburbs built up all over it. Look in the background, it's our first view of the airport!
Back on the mainland, here's one of the streets closest to the airport. It's just another quiet suburban scene, a dream for many middle-class citizens. A dream many fear will end the moment jumbo jets fly right over their pretty mortgaged properties. I wonder what the people living in that house in the bottom right-hand corner are doing in their backgarden though.
Okay, the airport is pretty close indeed. But let's take a closer look at it: Amesbury Regional Airport, was designed to handle 200 movements a day. Three airlines serve it : CathAir, the national airline; NoFrillz, a low-cost company that operates to Tamriel, and Aeromiao, a Khajiit-run Cyrodiilic airline. The state railway company emitted reserves, though, as they are now in direct competition. Then again maybe they should upgrade their own service..
- CathAir : New Wigmore (2 fl/day), Wellingborough (1 fl/day), Ashford (1 fl/day), Albany (1 fl/day)
- NoFrillz : Anvil, GC (1 fl/wk), Bravil, LN (1 fl/wk), Whiterun (2 fl/wk)
- Aeromiao : Alabaster (1 fl/wk), Imperial City (2 fl/wk)
Access to the airport is done through this heavily congested trumpet interchange. At this time the junction towards Wigston was not fully completed and merged onto one lane shortly after this exit.
Driving towards the airport...one can already see the control tower.
The airport terminal and parking area are teeming with traffic in this cold Rain's Hand morning.
Quiet green spots were built amongst the parking lots. Cars drive around then into the lots using the circular road.
A closer view of the terminal from the parking lots.
A woman is getting ready to enter the terminal and catch her flight. It's a busy day and taxis, as well as pick-up parking are lining up in front of the entrances.
These two lovebirds probably should have better marked the location of their car...but it's not a huge parking lot anyway!
The airport also handles cargo traffic. Two planes are loading up with passengers on gates 1 and 4.
Most landings are done on runway 28 (westbound) and takeoffs on runway 10 (eastbound) for traffic management purposes, but weather can force alternate takeoffs, such as this cargo plane taking off on runway 10. It's going to have to quickly veer north right after takeoff though.
More cargo waiting to be processed in the northern industrial zone included within the airport.
A cargo plane lands on runway 28. There is a mountain ahead, though still far enough that planes can in find climb over it. However it is usually asked that planes turn north immediately after lifting off.
Amesbury can be seen from the control tower. Also notice the runway landing equipment. R28 is also equipped with ILS, to help with smoother and safer landings.
On the other side of the airport, the road between Brownstone and Wigston had to be relocated and sunken to make way for the runway. There was a lot of flattening involved prior to the actual building of the airport.
Small jets are parked haphazardly on the tarmac. Not the safest way to park them, indeed, but the airport managers are not doing anything about it.
Same view from the other side of the airport with the two planes boarding.
Meanwhile in New Wigmore, Aeromiao flight 47,operated by an Embraer E-170 is taking off.
This flight carries important state officials who wish to visit Amesbury. The Major met up with them. They include business figures, entrepreneurs, activists, local officials and Members of Parliament.
The flight comes from the West (therefore facing South-east). To land on runway 28, it must enter a landing pattern which will basically see it reverse heading. The entry into the pattern is done from the left. At 09:29 AM, the flight passes waypoint AMRY and flies the base leg (going north) and gets clearance to land. It turns towards the runway, facing west, and begins its final approach. Flaps are extended, the landing gear is down, a myriad of checks are completed, and the plane is ready for touchdown.
The pilots are just about to land their plane on R28. There is some wind, but everything is under control... (yes I know the ADI is incorrect, but the classic attitude indicator isn't!)
The plane reaches Gate 3 where it ends its taxiing and comes to a full stop. Officials were impressed by the flight. It really doesn't take much..
And they merrily head for VIP cars on the other side of the parking while the next passenger plane is landing. Today's going to be a wonderful day!
And that's it for today, thank you for following my CJ =) Next entry we are going to look at some of the less than prestigious but still needed field work across the city (schools, hospitals and so on) and probably take a drive through Amesbury.
Please give feedback as usual, and hope you enjoyed!
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