From The Tribune staff reports
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will award an estimated $28.2 million to Alabama’s 70 airports from funding made available by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The money can be invested in runways, taxiways, safety and sustainability projects, as well as terminal, airport-transit connections and roadway projects. This is the first of five annual rounds of funding Alabama airports will receive.
“The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has given us a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build safer and more sustainable airports that connect individuals to jobs and communities to the world,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “With this new funding, urban, regional and rural airports across the country now can get to work on projects that have waited for years, modernizing their infrastructure and building a better America.”
Alabama airports can submit projects they wish to use the funds on for FAA review in the coming weeks. The FAA encourages airports to prioritize projects that increase airport safety, equity and sustainability. The agency also plans to conduct outreach with the minority business community on these opportunities at airports across the nation.
The following commercial airports in Alabama are estimated to receive funding during the first year of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law:
Birmingham-Shuttlesworth in Birmingham: $5,601,026
Dothan Regional in Dothan: $1,038,167
Huntsville International in Huntsville: $4,224,449
Mobile Regional in Mobile: $2,699,719
Mobile Downtown in Mobile: $1,083,801
Montgomery Regional in Montgomery: $1,920,386
An additional 64 reliever and general aviation airports across Alabama are also estimated to receive funding during the first year of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. For an interactive map and listing of funding for all Alabama airports, visit https://www.faa.gov/bil/airport-infrastructure.
The money comes from the Airport Infrastructure Grant program, one of three new aviation programs created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The law provides $15 billion over five years for this program. The FAA estimates the backlog of airport modernization and safety projects totals $43.6 billion.
