Senator Steve Daines today announced that five Montana airports will receive $1,637,512 for critical construction projects.

Grants will be awarded to airports in Billings, Scobey, Ennis, Polson and Turner.

“Montana’s airports provide a reliable form of transportation for their communities,” Daines stated. “This additional funding will go a long way towards improving the services these airports provide.”

Grants awarded today by the Federal Aviation Administration include:

Billings Logan International Airport: $1,000,000 to fund terminal building concourse B modifications to include relocation and demolition of unused facilities to improve efficiency of operations and meet passenger needs.

County of Daniels – Scobey Airport: $197,550 to fund the design phase to rehabilitate 4,020 feet of existing Runway 12/30 pavement to maintain the structural integrity of the pavement and to minimize foreign object debris and will fund the design phase to rehabilitate the current Runway 12/30 lighting system that has reached the end of its useful life and requires rehabilitation to enhance safe airfield operations during low visibility conditions.

Ennis – Big Sky Airport: $223,675 to acquire land for development and install weather reporting equipment.

County of Lake – Polson Airport: $156,707 to fund the acquisition of a new carrier vehicle and blade to keep the airport serviceable during snow periods and aid in the efficiency and safety of operations.

County of Blaine – Tuner Airport: $59,580 to fund the design phase for the construction of two new 350-foot taxi lanes to provide non-exclusive access to aircraft hangars. This project will fund the design phase for the construction of a new 900 foot partial parallel taxiway to eliminate the need for aircraft to back-taxi on the runway.

Daines secured the following provisions in the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization:

Increases Airport Improvement Program (AIP) dollars which build and maintain Montana’s critical aviation infrastructure such as runways. Also secured language that ensures if airports see a decrease in enplanements for a year, they don’t lose AIP dollars.

More From KMMS-KPRK 1450 AM