federal funding for variety of airport projects announced

The federal Department of Transportation has announced funding for facility and infrastructure projects at nearly 130 airports nationally, including a combined eight in Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico.

In announcing what is called Airport Improvement Program funding, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao said the new funding “allows us to invest in important infrastructure needs at the nation’s airports, especially those serving smaller and rural communities.”

For Arizona, the newly-announced grants means $9.8 million for new and rehabilitated runway work at the Coolidge Municipal Airport in the city of Coolidge; as well as $9.5 million for a similar project at the Holbrook Municipal Airport in Navajo County.

The San Luis Valley Regional Airport in Alamosa, Colorado is receiving $7.4 million for a taxiway reconstruction project; while the Eagle County Regional Airport in the city of Eagle will get $9 million for a new deicing facility.

A third Colorado project will see work launching on a runway and taxiway project at the Wray Municipal Airport in the city of Wray, with $5.7 million in funding from the Department of Transportation.

New Mexico is receiving just over $4.8 million in federal funds for three projects.

The construction of a new runway safety area at the Lea County Airport in Hobbs is getting $2.1 million in funding, with the Las Cruces International Airport slated to receive $837,000 for the construction of perimeter fencing.

A long-planned taxiway rehabilitation project at the Santa Fe Municipal Airport is receiving some $1.9 million in money from Washington.

This latest round of Department of Transportation funding comes on the heels of more than $3.3 billion in grants awarded last year through the agency’s Airport Improvement Program, as well as $205 million in supplemental AIP funding.

By Garry Boulard

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