Duluth Airport Construction Tops $14 Million
Some big money has been pumped into construction at Duluth International Airport this year -- $14.3 million.
The Federal Aviation Administration has allocated $9.2 million and the Air National Guard is contributing $4.6 million.
"When we can make$14 million in capital improvements with just a 3 to 4 percent local match, that represents a tremendous value," said Brian Ryks, executive director of the Duluth Airport Authority.
Here's the budget:
A new fire station to serve the airport and the Air National Guard is being built for $2.5 million.
A 26,000-foot roadway designed to improve safety is under construction at a cost of $4.2 million.
Improvements to the longest runway will cost $2.1 million.
The Air National Guard will build a $2 million taxiway to improve airfield access and will spend $1.3 million to update a cable system it uses to stop military aircraft in emergency situations.
A A 10-foot-tall fence and gate system is being erected at a cost of $1.5 million to improve security and reduce wildlife access.
About $712,000 has been spent to expand the cargo apron outside the FedEx air freight terminal, making it easier to accommodate wide-body aircraft.
The airport has invested $113,000 to build a new rental car parking lot on the west side of the terminal and improve an employee parking lot.
Ryks noted that the pace of construction at the airport has accelerated in recent years. From 1993 to 2000, the airport garnered about $13 million in grant money. From 2000 and 2005, however, nearly $35 million in grants were secured.
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