Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport announced Aug. 25, one of the largest Federal grants it has received since transitioning from a fighter pilot training base to a bustling regional airport. The Federal Aviation Administration has awarded a $9,126,000 grant to replace over one million square feet of concrete originally built in 1941. The concrete, referred to as the North Apron Area, will be replaced in five phases and includes areas used by corporate, military, general aviation and the two flight training schools that operate out of Gateway Airport. The year-long project is being scheduled in phases in order to not disrupt daily operations at the busy airport.
“Major undertakings like the North Apron Reconstruction Project don’t happen without strong support from our Congressional Delegation and our partners at the FAA and Arizona Department of Transportation,” said Interim Executive Director/CEO J. Brian O’Neill, A.A.E. “Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport is appreciative of their continued support as we build and improve this important regional transportation asset.”
Mesa, Ariz., Mayor John Giles, chairman of the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport Authority added, “This is a significant project that will create 105 jobs and enhance the airport’s ability to serve corporate customers, military training exercises, and other general aviation users.”
The $10,000,000 project includes a local grant match by the Arizona Department of Transportation and the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport Authority. Construction is anticipated to begin on Sept. 20, following a groundbreaking ceremony, and will take a year to complete. After a competitive bidding process, Dibble Engineering was awarded the contract to oversee the project.
