The city of Durant will advertise for bids to construct a new airport terminal at Eaker Field.

City council met Friday afternoon for a special meeting and approved advertising for bids to get the terminal project airborne.

Public Works Director Jerry Yandell said the city recently secured financing for the project.

“It’s now time to go out for bids and hopefully in about 30 days, we can come back and award a bid to a contractor to begin work,” Yandell said.

During an August meeting, the Durant Airport and Industrial authorities approved a funding plan for the approximately 8,000 square-foot terminal building. Architectural drawing for the project have been completed.

This is a project of the Airport Terminal Planning Committee. Tommy Kramer, executive director of the Durant Industrial Authority and also a member of the committee, told the Democrat recently that the project is a “tremendous Team Durant partnership with the city of Durant and its officials.

He also said a new terminal could attract new companies to the area.

In other action during Friday’s meeting, the council approved a request by Durant Middle School to close part of North Sixth Avenue south of Cedar Street in front of the school on Tuesday.

Keith Kennedy, technology education instructor at DMS, told the council that Southeastern is sponsoring a Manufacturing Education Training System (METS) Skills on Wheels Mobile lab. The lab is inside a semi-truck’s trailer and it will be brought to the DMS campus.

According to information from the company, the METS lab was created based on the concept that young people need to understand the relevancy of math and science in the workplace.

The trailer houses numerous pieces of equipment, including a scanner, lathe, pass-through laser, plasma torch and 10 laptop workstations.

“The students can come in the truck and do hands-on activities,” Kennedy said.

The council also voted to procure materials, labor and equipment for relocation of sewer lines for the Highway 70 bypass project that is in the area of South Ninth Avenue, a project that will be reimbursed by the state.