The U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded $17.8 million in Federal Aviation Administration grants to 10 Alabama airports for infrastructure upgrades, U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Tuscaloosa) announced Tuesday.
In a statement announcing the grant award, Shelby, vice chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, spoke to the important role airports play in supporting local economies.
“Alabama’s local and regional airports play a significant role in our state’s economy, and I am proud that FAA sees the value in supporting them,” he said. “These improvements will go a long way toward increasing travel to and from Alabama and the overall safety of these airports.
“This investment stands to benefit several communities in Alabama, and I look forward to witnessing the growth and success of each of them.”
RELATED: Shelby lands $27M in federal transportation grants for Alabama infrastructure
The grants were administered through the fiscal year 2022 Airport Improvement Program. The program was funded in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022.
The grants were awarded to:
- Mobile International Airport — $6,762,732 to reconstruct an apron and $940,000 to improve airport drainage and erosion control
- Tuscaloosa National Airport — $4,213,116 to reconstruct an apron
- Auburn University Regional Airport — $2,533,041 to construct, extend, and improve a safety area
- Prattville Airport-Grouby Field — $1,425,182 to reconstruct an apron
- Isbell Field Airport (Fort Payne) — $829,227 to reconstruct a taxilane
- Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport — $456,716 to rehabilitate an apron
- Chilton County Airport (Clanton) — $261,736 to extend a runway
- Abbeville Municipal Airport — $236,700 to extend a runway
- Enterprise Municipal Airport — $160,000 to extend a runway
Dylan Smith is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @DylanSmithAL
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