U.S. Senator Jon Tester has announced $13,602,102 in Department of Transportation (DOT) funding for 19 Montana airports to expand and repair facilities.
“Montana is booming, and it’s critical that the Treasure State has up-to-date infrastructure to support our growing economy,” said Tester. “This funding will allow our airports to expand operations and support the increasing demand for reliable, affordable flights in and out of Montana. Improved facilities will pave the way for more flights to the region, allowing Montana to stay connected and support good paying jobs here for years to come.”
The funding awarded by the DOT will be used for a wide variety of facility expansions and repairs. Recipients and intended uses include:
Great Falls International: $4,800,519 – Construct deicing pad with associated facilities, construct taxiway
Missoula Montana: $2,149,521 – Construct terminal building
Lewistown Municipal: $1,780,000 – Rehabilitate taxiway
Helena Regional: $1,150,000 – Acquire aircraft rescue & firefighting safety vehicle and equipment
Cut Bank International: $600,000 – Construct/modify/improve/rehabilitate hangar, improve/modify access road, seal apron pavement surface/pavement joints, seal runway pavement surface/pavement joints, seal taxilane pavement surface/pavement joints, seal taxiway pavement surface/pavement joints
Wokal Field/Glasgow-Valley County: $503,575 – Seal apron pavement surface/pavement joints, seal runway pavement surface/pavement joints, seal taxilane pavement surface/pavement joints, seal taxiway pavement surface/pavement joints
Scobey: $450,000 – Install miscellaneous navigational aids, install weather reporting equipment, reconstruct or replace airport lighting vault
Stanford/Biggerstaff Field: $443,655 – Construct taxiway
Mission Field: $354,102 – Construct taxilane
Conrad: $192,510 – Construct taxilane, install miscellaneous navigational aids, reconstruct airfield guidance signs, reconstruct apron, reconstruct runway, reconstruct runway lighting, reconstruct taxiway
Big Sky Field: $183,678 – Construct terminal building, construct/rehabilitate/modify/expand snow removal equipment building
Lincoln: $171,161 – Acquire snow removal equipment
Harlem: $166,500 – Install apron edge lights and/or flood lighting, install runway vertical/visual guidance system, install taxiway lighting, rehabilitate access road
Choteau: $150,000 – Reconstruct airfield guidance signs, seal apron pavement surface/pavement joints, seal runway pavement surface/ pavement joints, seal taxiway pavement surface/pavement joints
Plains: $150,000 – Install weather reporting equipment
Shelby: $150,000 – Install weather reporting equipment
Thompson Falls: $106,000 – Reconstruct access road
Billings Logan International: $50,881 – Conduct or update miscellaneous study
L M Clayton: $50,000 – Seal apron pavement surface/pavement joints, seal runway pavement surface/pavement joints, seal taxilane pavement surface/pavement joints, seal taxiway pavement surface/pavement joints
Tester recently secured an additional $28,610,817 in Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Fiscal Year 2022 funding for 69 Montana airports as part of his bipartisan infrastructure package for repairs and upgrades. The funding is a part of approximately $144 million secured by Tester that will be awarded over five years to Montana airports through the FAA’s Airport Improvement Program, which can be used to construct or repair runways and taxiways as well as make terminal and gate improvements.
