The North Dakota Aeronautics Commission has awarded $19.2 million in additional state grant funding to Grand Forks International Airport for reconstruction of its primary runway, bringing the state’s total investment in the project to $20 million.
The Grand Forks investment is part of a broader $90 million legislative appropriation from the Strategic Investment & Improvement Fund (SIIF) for generational airport infrastructure projects across North Dakota. The legislative appropriation included $45 million for the Fargo Hector International Airport terminal project, $25 million for the Dickinson Theodore Roosevelt Regional Airport terminal project, and $20 million for the Grand Forks International Airport for its primary runway reconstruction. The Fargo and Dickinson allocations were fully awarded in a previous grant round.
The Grand Forks project is estimated to cost $53 million and will reconstruct aging primary runway pavement that has reached the end of its useful life, improve airfield geometry, and modernize lighting, navigational aids, and drainage infrastructure to meet current Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) design standards.
Grand Forks’ state grant request was deferred during the previous grant round while the airport pursued additional federal funding for the project. With that federal funding now secured, the state’s $20 million investment will complement approximately $29.6 million in federal Airport Improvement Program funding awarded over multiple grant cycles.
The combination of state funding, favorable construction bids, and federal discretionary funding has allowed the airport to accelerate the project from three construction seasons to two. The shortened schedule reduces project phasing and contractor mobilization costs, limits construction-related operational impacts, and allows the airport to return to normal operations one construction season earlier.
“This project demonstrates how strategic state investment can leverage federal funding and deliver major infrastructure improvements more efficiently,” said Kyle Wanner, Executive Director of the North Dakota Aeronautics Commission. “By accelerating the project from three construction seasons to two, we can reduce costs and operational disruptions while delivering a modernized primary runway sooner for one of North Dakota’s busiest airports.”
Construction began in 2026, with the first major phase expected to be completed this fall. Final runway reconstruction and project completion are anticipated in fall of 2027. View the Grand Forks Airport Grant Awards
