The Federal Aviation Administration has awarded more than $6.2 million in grants for improvements to rural Nevada airports including those in Fallon and Lovelock. Nevada Sen. Harry Reid, who made the announcement, said the grants will fund construction projects, modernize equipment, improve runways and enhance safety at airports in rural counties throughout state.
The Fallon Municipal Airport received $150,000 that will fund runway rehabilitation.
Derby Field Airport west of Lovelock received $600,000. Teid said this grant will fund the rehabilitation of runways and pavement and fund the replacement of the vertical/visual guidance system to make the airport more accessible to pilots.
“Transportation is vital to Nevada’s continued growth and these funds will help facilitate that expansion,” Reid said. “Improving and modernizing our rural airports is key to the economic success of each of our counties. I will continue to ensure every airport has the 21st century infrastructure it needs to expand rural economies and provide safe and convenient access to areas across Nevada.”
Reid also announced more than $290,000 in funding tourist parking facility in the Lake Tahoe SR 28 Corridor.
These grants are just the latest in funding to help improve Nevada’s airports and transportation system. Last year than $9.1 million in FAA grants for construction updates and equipment repairs at airports throughout rural Nevada. In 2012, Reid helped pass the FAA Reauthorization Act which has saved more than 280,000 jobs while protecting Nevadans by updating air-traffic control systems to meet modern-day standards.
The Silver Springs Airport also received a grant — but not from the same funding — earlier in the week.
A $700,000 grant from the Federal Aviation Administration and sponsored by Lyon County will allow the airport was able to increase the size of the taxiway and rehabilitate the runway.
According to a media release, these two improvements are vital to the overall master plan to the airport and further enables economic growth and aviation needs to the Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center.
As the master plan is completed, the Silver Springs airport will see a growth from 3,000 operations annually to an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 operations.
The two projects at Silver Springs are creating an estimated 60 construction jobs.
http://www.nevadaappeal.com/news/lahontanvalley/17279202-113/municipal-airport-receives-faa-grant