More than 40 airports in Colorado will be receiving extra funding after Gov. John Hickenlooper authorized the distribution of $20.6 million from state aviation fuel tax revenues.
The money is being distributed through grants under the Aviation Discretionary Grant program, which is administered by the Colorado Department of Transportation’s Division of Aeronautics. Forty-four airports will be receiving grants.
“We have improved public-use airports all across the state by leveraging these grants with local and federal matching funds,” Hickenlooper said in a statement Friday. “These airports are critical to the economic well-being of communities as energy, tourism and business travel to local destinations continues to grow. Developing and maintaining an efficient, safe transportation system is vital to Colorado’s economic growth.”
Colorado Springs Municipal Airport and Denver International Airport are among the 44 airports receiving grants. These grants range from $3,650 to $3 million, and will go towards safety and infrastructure projects.
“It has been gratifying to see this program grow over the years,” Joe Thibodeaux, chairman of the Colorado Aeronautical Board, said in a statement. “Our public-use airports have consistently come to us with outstanding projects that serve important public transportation needs, and we are pleased to be able to help make these projects a reality. This is a true example of state/local and often federal partnerships that together help us accomplish much more than any of us would be able to do by ourselves.”
According to the statement released from Hickenlooper’s office, the Aviation Discretionary Grant Program was instituted by an amendment to the Colorado Constitution in 1992. CDOT Aeronautics reviews proposals sent by the airports, then are approved by the Aeronautical Board. This board consists of various aviation industry representatives appointed by the governor and approved by the state Senate.
Colorado communities/airport receiving the grants are listed below:
* Animas Airpark, Durango
* Aspen Pitkin County Airport
* Astronaut Kent Rominger Airport, Del Norte
* Blake Field, Delta
* Burlington-Kit Carson County Airport
* Centennial Airport, Englewood
* Central Colorado Regional Airport, Buena Vista
* Colorado Plains Regional Airport, Akron
* Colorado Springs Municipal Airport
* Cortez-Montezuma County Airport
* Denver International Airport
* Durango-La Plata County Airport
* Eagle County Regional Airport
* Erie Municipal Airport
* Fremont County Airport, Canon City
* Ft. Collins-Loveland Municipal Airport
* Garfield County Regional Airport, Rifle
* Greeley-Weld County Airport
* Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional Airport
* Hopkins Field, Nucla
* La Junta Municipal Airport
* Lake County Airport, Leadville
* Lamar Municipal Airport
* Las Animas City and County Airport
* McElroy Field, Kremmling
* Meeker Airport
* Montrose Regional Airport
* North Fork Valley Airport, Paonia
* Perry Stokes Airport, Trinidad
* Pueblo Memorial Airport
* Rangely Airport
* Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport, Broomfield
* San Luis Valley Regional Airport, Alamosa
* Spanish Peaks Airfield, Walsenburg
* Springfield Municipal Airport
* Steamboat Springs Municipal Airport
* Sterling Municipal Airport
* Stevens Field, Alamosa
* Telluride Regional Airport
* Vance Brand Municipal Airport, Longmont
* Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum, Denver
* Wray Municipal Airport
* Yampa Valley Regional Airport, Hayden
* Yuma Municipal Airport