FAA grant awarded to airport

0

By Wayne Allen

[email protected]

U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) announced Thursday the Greater Portsmouth Regional Airport will be receiving a $224,000 grant from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to fund a project. Airport Manager Phil Lajoy said the funding will refurbish the ramp area of the airport. Work will include grinding all of the cracks out of the area and repaving.

“The ramp area is the area where all of the airplanes go after they land, and that’s where they park,” Lajoy said. “This is something the airport board of authority applied for and received.”

He said a number of studies have been done, and they are now ready to proceed with the project.

“Support for community airports is key to the safety of travelers and the flow of commerce,” Brown said in a released statement. “This award will give Scioto County the resources to make needed improvements that will benefit those that rely on the local airport and its services.”

Lajoy said the project goes along with a long-term maintenance plan for the airport.

“The airport board of authority has put a plan together on what improvements they would like to make over five years. Not everything is maintenance we’ve got runways a mile long that need rehabilitation once and a while,” Lajoy said.

He gave a lot of credit for the success of the airport to its board of directors.

“We have a seven-member board that’s given their authority by the (Scioto County) commissioners and they basically run the airport. They make all of the decisions on what to restore and improve. They want to work on the fence on the property, there are some drainage issues and there are some development issues,” Lajoy said.

He said the entire airport board are active members of the community, and members of the board understand the significance of an airport to a communities growth.

“They (airport board) understand the gravity of the Portsmouth Bypass coming in, with an exit ramp right at the airport, which connects to 52 and 23,” Lajoy said.

For more information about the Greater Portsmouth Regional Airport visit www.sciotocountyohio.com/airports.

Wayne Allen can be reached at 740-353-3101, ext. 1933 or on Twitter @WayneallenPDT

No posts to display