Spangdahlem gates change hours of operation Published Oct. 5, 2011 By Staff Sgt. Daryl Knee 52nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany -- The base gates are slated to change their hours of operation Oct. 11 to better facilitate construction of a new traffic circle into the northwest expansion area. The main gate will be open weekdays for inbound traffic only from 6 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and the south gate will be open 24 hours every day of the week. "It's better to have a little pain now than to wait until the new area is open to fix traffic problems," said Master Sgt. Ricky Barnett, 52nd Civil Engineer Squadron NCO in charge of program development. The estimated completion time for this construction project is January 2012, he said. During the interim period, Sabers are urged to exercise caution when driving through the main gate as workers will be present along the roadway. Once all of the construction is completed, the base will be split into a service side and an operation side, Barnett said. Other than the traffic circle, the facilities that will be located within the northwest expansion area will include a new Exchange, fitness center, commissary, school, medical clinic and child development center. "In the long run, it's going to be a lot easier to get into and out of the northwest-expansion area," he said. "The new traffic circle will ease congestion not only at the main gate entrance but throughout the base. Anyone needing to visit facilities like the BX will no longer have to travel into the main base area. "You should see some overall traffic-congestion problems go away," he continued. "However, there will be some changes to traffic patterns in the meantime." Since the traffic-circle construction involves the outbound lane near the main gate, Sabers who want to access the Shoppette will need to follow Arnold Boulevard through base housing to Revere Avenue, he said. Revere Avenue follows a back part of the base near the veterinarian clinic until it connects with the Shoppette parking lot. "This new traffic circle is a critical component of our [Spangdahlem] campus master plan to enable a smooth and controlled flow of traffic to the completed northwest expansion facilities, which all Sabers will be frequenting often," said Col. Chris Weggeman, 52nd Fighter Wing commander, in an e-mail to the base populace. "It is very cool indeed to see our base transforming before our very eyes [and that this construction] takes us closer to enjoying these wonderful, modern facilities."