Twenty-five airports across the states of Alabama will be receiving grants that to fund improvements, according to a release from U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL) on Wednesday morning.
Together, the grants total $60,999,054, some of which was made possible by the $2.2 trillion federal stimulus bill also known as the CARES Act, which was passed in an effort to stem the effects of the nationwide coronavirus precautions.
“It is important that we invest in advancing our airports, particularly those in rural areas which have a significant economic impact in local communities. This $61 million in DOT funding for aviation in Alabama is great news and will contribute to the vitality of our entire state,” said Shelby in a statement.
The single biggest recipient will be Huntsville International Airport, which is getting $23,374,511 “to reconstruct runway lighting and rehabilitate a runway,” according to the information provided by Shelby’s office.
Huntsville is also getting $1,525,000 to buy an aircraft rescue and fire fighting vehicle and security camera installation.
Large amounts of money are being directed to the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport, Tuscaloosa National Airport and the Mobile Downtown Airport, which will receive around $10 million, $9.4 million and $8.9 million respectively.
The rest of the grants are largely going to small regional and municipal airports in the low to mid six-figure amounts.
The full list, as provided by Shelby’s office, as follows:
Albertville Regional-Thomas J Brumlik Field, Albertville, Alabama – $380,200 to construct a taxilane
Atmore Municipal Airport, Atmore, Alabama – $333,333 to seal a runway pavement surface and pavement joints
Bay Minette Municipal Airport, Bay Minette, Alabama – $467,054 to construct a taxilane
Bessemer Airport, Bessemer, Alabama – $166,904 to update the airport’s master plan or study
Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport, Birmingham, Alabama – $2,803,000 to improve airport drainage and $7,256,000 to rehabilitate a runway and a taxiway
Brewton Municipal Airport, Brewton, Alabama – $150,000 to improve airport drainage and erosion control
Camden Municipal Airport, Camden, Alabama – $326,404 to rehabilitate an access road and an apron
Chilton County Airport, Clanton, Alabama – $555,556 to extend a runway
Pryor Field Regional Airport, Decatur, Alabama – $585,000 to seal a taxilane pavement surface and pavement joints
Dothan Regional Airport, Dothan, Alabama – $1,415,000 to acquire or rehabilitate an emergency generator; improve, modify, and rehabilitate a terminal building; and reconstruct an apron
H. L. (Sonny) Callahan Airport, Fairhope, Alabama – $491,111 to expand an access road and rehabilitate an apron and $120,000 to update the airport’s master plan or study
Florala Municipal Airport, Florala, Alabama – $425,000 to construct an access road and an apron
Foley Municipal Airport, Foley, Alabama – $361,111 to rehabilitate an apron
Isbell Field Airport, Fort Payne, Alabama – $75,000 to rehabilitate an apron
Northeast Alabama Regional Airport, Gadsden, Alabama – $166,667 to install a runway vertical and visual guidance system and rehabilitate airport beacons
Guntersville Municipal-Joe Starnes Field, Guntersville, Alabama – $166,667 to construct a runway and a taxiway
Hartselle-Morgan County Regional Airport, Hartselle, Alabama – $459,667 to install miscellaneous navigational aids and reconstruct runway and taxiway lighting
Huntsville International Airport, Huntsville, Alabama – $1,525,000 to acquire an aircraft rescue and fire fighting vehicle and install security cameras and $23,374,511 to reconstruct runway lighting and rehabilitate a runway
Mobile Downtown Airport, Mobile, Alabama – $8,886,910 to rehabilitate a runway
North Pickens Airport, Reform, Alabama – $160,276 to install taxiway lighting
Roanoke Municipal Airport, Roanoke, Alabama – $123,689 to rehabilitate an apron, a runway, and a taxiway
Scottsboro Municipal-Word Field, Scottsboro, Alabama – $309,434 to improve airport drainage and rehabilitate a runway
Sylacauga Municipal Airport, Sylacauga, Alabama – $100,000 to reconstruct an airport beacon
Tuscaloosa National Airport, Tuscaloosa, Alabama – $9,444,444 to reconstruct a runway
Franklin Field Airport, Union Springs, Alabama – $371,116 to acquire land for development and install perimeter fencing
Henry Thornton is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can contact him by email: [email protected] or on Twitter @HenryThornton95
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