The U.S. Department of Transportation has announced it will award almost half a billion dollars in infrastructure grants to 264 airports across 45 states.
This constitutes the third part of the $3.18 billion of funding given to airports across the United States by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Airport Improvement Program (AIP).
“Infrastructure projects funded by these grants will advance safety, improve travel, generate jobs and provide other economic benefits for local communities,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao.
The types of projects selected include reconstruction and rehabilitation of runways, construction of firefighting facilities, and the maintenance of taxiways, aprons, and terminals.
U.S. airports are entitled to a certain amount of AIP funding every year, depending on activity level and project needs, with discretionary FAA funding available if these needs exceed the available AIP funds.
Some examples of the grant awards include: $4.77 million to Des Moines International Airport to reconstruct an apron and taxiway; $11.3 million to Chicago/Rockford International Airport to rehabilitate a runway and taxiway; and $9.7 million to Minneapolis-St. Paul International/Wold-Chamberlain to construct a taxiway, improve the runway safety area, install taxiway lighting, and install runway incursion marking.
