Houlton International Airport awarded $4.4M in federal funds for taxiway work

Photo / Fred Field The airport in Houlton is getting $4.4 million in federal funding to help with taxiway improvements.

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By Staff

Houlton International Airport has received a total of $4.4 million in federal funding to fund reconfiguration of its existing taxiway, according to a news release Tuesday.

The funding was awarded through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Airport Improvement Program and the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) Act.

The Airport Improvement Program pays for airport infrastructure projects such as runways, taxiways, signage and lighting. Airports receive a certain amount of the funding each year based on passenger volume, and sometimes also awarded discretionary grants. The money originates from airport user fees, fuel taxes and other revenue sources.

This year’s Airport Improvement Program has a budget of $3.75 billion, including $400 million for discretionary grants. Under the CARES Act, the Federal Aviation Administration eliminates the local cost-sharing requirement of funded projects.

U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said in the release, “In the midst of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Houlton International Airport — a vital part of Aroostook County’s infrastructure — is struggling to make ends meet given the sharp downturn in passenger traffic.

“This investment in its infrastructure will help ensure that it continues to serve as an engine of job creation and an essential piece of our transportation network after this crisis has passed.”