TWR CTLR COMPLAINT THAT SMF DOES NOT HAVE ANY ASDE EQUIP AND CTLRS MUST RELY ON ACFT POS RPTS WHEN VISIBILITY IS LOW.

Narrative

SMF ATCT DOES NOT HAVE ASDE-III. DURING LOW VISIBILITY CONDITIONS; CTLRS MUST BASE SEPARATION AND CTL INSTRUCTIONS ON PLT POS RPTS. WHEN POS RPTS ARE NOT RECEIVED ALL TFC MOVEMENT MUST STOP UNTIL THE ACFT CAN BE LOCATED. ADDITIONALLY RAMP EXIT TXWY A9 IS ALIGNED WITH RWY 16R HIGH SPD TXWY A9. DURING CONDITIONS WHEN THIS INTXN IS NOT VISIBLE FROM THE CTL TWR; TXWY A9 MAY NOT BE USED AS A RAMP EXIT. THIS COMBINED WITH TXWY CLOSURES FOR OVERNIGHT PARKING AND ARPT IMPOSED TAXI-LANE RESTRS; MAKE GND MOVEMENT OPS DURING LOW VISIBILITY CONDITIONS TENUOUS AT BEST. THE TXWY A-A9 INTXN AND ACCESS TO RWY 16R HAS THE POTENTIAL OF AN ACR 1983 ACCIDENT. ADDITIONALLY THE ARPT IS PURSUING SMGE'S APPROVAL FOR OPS DOWN TO AND INCLUDING 300 FT RVR. HOWEVER UNTIL FUNDING CAN BE GENERATED NO IMPROVEMENTS SUCH AS TXWY CTRLINE LIGHTS; STOP BARS OR RWY GUARD LIGHTS WILL BE INSTALLED. CONSIDERING ALL THE ABOVE: NO ASDE; TXWY CONFIGN; TXWY AND TAXI-LANE RESTRS; AND OVERNIGHT PARKING OF ACFT ON TXWYS; AN ALERT NOTICE SHOULD BE ISSUED FOR SMF ARPT CONCERNING LOW VISIBILITY OPS.