U.S. Transportation Secretary Mineta Announces $33.7 Million in Grants to Expand Capacity, Enhance Safety At Louisiana Airports

Article continues below...

U.S. Transportation Secretary Mineta Announces $33.7 Million in Grants to Expand Capacity, Enhance Safety At Louisiana Airports

Wednesday, February 16, 2005

Federal grants totaling approximately $33.7 million will help to expand capacity and enhance safety at airports throughout Louisiana, U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta announced today.Twenty-one airports will receive money for projects that include rehabilitating and extending runways, constructing taxiways, and improving runway safety areas. The funds come from the Airport Improvement Program of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration.

“Increasing air traffic is helping to sustain economic expansion in Louisiana and throughout the United States,” Secretary Mineta said. “These grants will help Louisiana’s airports maintain the highest standards of safety and expand their capacity as air traffic continues to grow.”

"I am pleased that Secretary Mineta and the Bush Administration made this federal money available to these Louisiana airports. Our airports connect the Louisiana economy to economic centers across the nation and around the world," said U.S. Sen. David Vitter. "These grants from the Federal Aviation Administration, totaling over $30 million, will allow our airports to improve their facilities, which is especially important as they transport an ever-increasing number of passengers each year."

The following airports are slated to receive grants:

Abbeville Chris Crusta Memorial Airport -- $150,000 to improve a runway safety area.

Alexandria International Airport -- $2.2 million to construct a jet maintenance hangar, $2 million to rehabilitate a taxiway and $1.4 million to construct a terminal building.

Acadiana Regional Airport, New Iberia -- $150,000 to install perimeter fencing and update airport studies.

Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport/Ryan Field -- $4.2 million to improve a runway safety area, $3.1 million to reduce the impact of airport noise on the surrounding community and $500,000 to conduct a noise compatibility study.

Beauregard Parish Airport, DeRidder -- $699,753 to construct a taxiway.

Concordia Parish Airport, Vidalia -- $402,500 to construct a taxiway.

Esler Regional Airport, Alexandria -- $464,229 to improve airport drainage.

False River Regional Airport, New Roads -- $200,000 to rehabilitate a runway.

George R. Carr Memorial Air Field, Bogalusa-- $650,000 to improve a runway safety area.

Hammond Municipal Airport -- $950,000 to rehabilitate a runway.

Hart Airport, Many -- $500,000 to extend a runway.

Homer Municipal Airport -- $332,500 to improve a runway safety area.

Kelly Airport, Oak Grove -- $422,222 to construct a taxiway.

Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport -- $10.1 million to rehabilitate a runway.

New Orleans Downtown Airport -- $323,000 to update the airport master plan.

Slidell Airport -- $2 million to extend a runway.

South Lafourche Airport, Galliano -- $1.2 million to extend a runway.

St. John the Baptist Parish Airport, Reserve -- $344,850 to remove obstructions and construct a taxiway.

St. Landry Parish Airport/Ahart Field, Opelousas -- $150,000 to construct a fuel farm.

Vicksburg Tallulah Regional Airport -- $940,000 to strengthen a runway.

Vivian Airport -- $319,050 to acquire the existing airport.

-END-

- www.dot.gov