LE MARS — The Le Mars Municipal Airport has been awarded a grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, announced in a press release Tuesday that the airport was awarded $50,839.
Le Mars was one of four Iowa airports to receive a share of the just over $7 million awarded by the DOT, the press release stated.
The $50,839 awarded to the Le Mars airport are to be used to design the rehabilitation of the existing terminal apron pavement.
Earl Draayer, airport manager, said that rehabilitation includes extending and resurfacing the apron where the airplanes are parked.
He said the apron project is part of the city’s Airport Improvement Program.
Harkin said the funding announced Tuesday will help ensure those airports are “well-equipped.”
“Ensuring Iowa’s airports have the resources they need to update, repair or replace their facilities is important to maintain safety and efficiency of operations,” he stated.
Harkin is a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and the subcommittee that funds the DOT.
Along with Le Mars, the other three airports and their awards are:
* Cedar Rapids Airport, $6 million to renovate main terminal lobby ticketing, waiting and baggage claim areas.
* Fort Dodge Regional Airport, $450,000 to rehabilitate a runway.
* Shenandoah Municipal Airport, $514,881 to reconstruct a taxiway.
http://www.lemarssentinel.com/story/2102973.html