Federal funds secured for runway rehabilitation at rural Nye airport

Additional federal money is coming to Nye County.

The U.S. Department of Transportation awarded $225,000 to Gabbs Airport for runway rehabilitation.

Elaine Chao, U.S. Department of Transportation secretary, announced in May that the Federal Aviation Administration will award $527.8 million in airport infrastructure grants to 584 airports across the United States as part of the FAA’s Airport Improvement Program, according to the news release.

“The Airport Improvement Program helps to maintain our aviation infrastructure and supports safety, capacity, security and environmental improvements,” Chao said in a news release.

The airport grant program funds various types of airport infrastructure projects, including runways, taxiways, airport signage, lighting, and marking.

U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nevada, applauded the funding.

“Investing in our airport infrastructure is essential to maintaining Nevada’s connectivity to the rest of the country and the world,” Cortez Masto said.

“I am grateful that DOT understands this and I thank them for awarding these two grants to the state of Nevada and Gabbs Airport in Nye County. I will continue working to ensure additional federal funds like these are made available to provide reliable and safe infrastructure across the state.”

The agency also awarded $239,063 to the state of Nevada to conduct a state system plan study, the news release said.

Gabbs is not the first Nye County airport to receive federal funding. Beatty Airport will also receive $217,016 for the construction of a taxiway turnaround for runway 34.

Nye County commissioners approved a $149,000 bid from A&K Earth Movers for rehabilitation of unpaved runways at the Gabbs Airport and a $527,031 bid from Qualcon Contractors Inc. for the runway 34 taxiway turnaround at the Beatty Airport.

Both contracts were contingent upon FAA funding and approval.

Airports are entitled to a certain amount of AIP funding each year, based on passenger volume, officials said. If their capital project needs exceed their available entitlement funds, then the FAA can supplement their entitlements with discretionary funding.

Contact reporter Daria Sokolova at dsokolova@pvtimes.com. On Twitter: @dariasokolova77