The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has awarded more than US$31 million in grants to expand cargo infrastructure at nine airports to help expedite the movement of goods across the country.
Pete Buttigieg, U.S. Transportation secretary said the grant will make improvements at airports across the country so they can handle cargo more efficiently and help strengthen America's supply chains.
Source: Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport
The funding will go to Chicago Rockford International Airport (Illinois), Huntsville International Airport-Carl T. Jones Field (Alabama), Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (South Carolina), Bishop International Airport (Michigan), Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (Alaska), Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Washington state), Eugene F. Kranz Toledo Express Airport (Ohio), Stockton Metropolitan Airport (California), and Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport (Rhode Island).
Nine airports gets grants for cargo infrastructure
The U.S. FAA said at Chicago Rockford International Airport, a US$6.8 million funding will be spent to construct a 4,267-foot Taxiway and connectors to increase access to the south cargo apron.
In Huntsville International Airport-Carl T. Jones Field, a grant of US$5.6 million will be used to rehabilitate 5,600 square yards of the existing air cargo apron and expand the airport's existing access road an additional 1,450 feet to enhance access.
Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport in Greer, South Carolina has been awarded US$4.5 million to rehabilitate existing taxiway and cargo apron pavement throughout the airport.
Bishop International Airport in Flint, Michigan will get US$2.3 million to rehabilitate 37,400 square yards of existing cargo apron pavement and perform crack repair and joint sealing to 26,800 square yards of deicing apron surface.
Meanwhile, Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport – the fourth busiest cargo airport in the world – will get US$8.2 million to reconstruct the taxilane and rehabilitate the apron at the airport, where the second-most amount of cargo weight traverses through.
US$1.9 billion has also been granted to the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport for the reconstruction of 4,200 square yards existing cargo apron pavement.
Eugene F. Kranz Toledo Express Airport in Toledo, Ohio will receive US$1 million to rehabilitate 27,670 square yards of cargo apron pavement and to design improvements to 16,450 square feet of the taxiway safety area erosion control system.
Stockton Metropolitan Airport in Stockton, California has been granted US$417,036 to fund the design phase to rehabilitate 800 feet of the existing cargo taxilane pavement.
Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport in Warwick, Rhode Island, will get US$197,310 as part of the grant to design a new 60,000 square-yard cargo apron to accommodate increased use.
U.S. FAA noted that the money for these projects comes from the Airport Improvement Program during FY 2022.
The program pays for a variety of projects including: construction of new and improved airport facilities, repairs to runways and taxiways, maintenance of airfield elements like lighting or signage, and the purchase of equipment needed to operate and maintain airports.
