A $6 million grant from the Federal Aviation Administration will help with runway expansion at a local airport.
The funds will be used to cover the cost of a 670-foot runway extension at the Pitt-Greenville Airport. The extension is needed to comply with FAA safety regulations, which require airports to maintain at least 1,000 feet of over-run at the end of runways.
The Airport Authority has been preparing for the project for years. They’ve been buying up nearby properties, relocating utility lines, and removing tall trees in the area. The grant will reimburse the airport for a lot of those costs.
“You want to get to what most people talk about the brick and mortar. For us that’s pavement,” says Airport Director Jerry Vickers. “So we’re actually real excited about actually getting ready to put down the pavement to extend the runway by 670 feet.”
Construction is expected to start mid-September and will last about seven months. The paving will be done at night so airport operations won’t be interrupted.