CLEVELAND — Airports in Northeast Ohio are set to receive an influx of government cash for infrastructure improvements, according to an announcement from Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH).
The Federal Aviation Administration, an agency under the U.S. Department of Transportation, will dole out seven grants totaling just over $4 million to be split up among six regional airports in the Northeast Ohio area.
According to a press release from Brown’s office, the funds will go toward “repairs to airports and their critical infrastructure.”
“Ohio airports are vital infrastructure supporting travel and commerce in our state,” said Brown. “These investments will provide airports in Northeast Ohio with the resources they need to ensure the safety of their passengers and support the local economy for years to come.”
The local airports receiving the federal funds are the Wayne County Airport, the Lake County Executive Airport, the Youngstown/Warren Regional Airport, the Akron-Canton Regional Airport, the Ashland County Airport and the Kent State University Airport.
The Akron-Canton Regional Airport Authority will receive the lion’s share of the sum, with $3,431,500 going toward “improvements to taxiways to meet FAA design standards, and rehabilitate the existing terminal building to allow for efficient movement of passengers and baggage,” according to Brown’s release.
The grants were awarded to county governments and airport authorities by the FAA through its Airport Improvement Program. According to the agency, more than $3 billion are made available to airports across the country as part of the program. The latest round of AIP grants, the second of the 2022 fiscal year, awarded a total $518 million nationwide, the FAA announced Tuesday.
“In communities of all sizes, airports are vital to local economies, sustaining jobs and getting people and goods where they need to go,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “We’re pleased to announce this important funding to help improve airports around the country and better serve all Americans.”
According to Brown’s office, the grant money will be allocated as follows:
- $85,430 to improve the terminal apron surface at the Wayne County Airport
- Two grants of $160,494 and $118,530 each for various improvements at the Lake County Executive Airport
- $108,000 to replace the wind cone at the Youngstown/Warren Regional Airport
- $3,431,500 for improvements at the Akron-Canton Regional Airport
- $45,900 to construct an access road to increase passenger access to the Ashland County Airport
- $150,000 to rehabilitate the runway at the Kent State University Airport.
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