More than $1.5 million in federal grant funding is coming to the Central Illinois Regional Airport for safety upgrades.
The funding is part of $12.2 million distributed to some Illinois airports via the Federal Aviation Administration's Airport Improvement Grant Program. Other airports funding projects with the grant money include Chicago Rockford International Airport (nearly $8 million) and the Quad Cities International Airport.
CIRA's nearly $1.6 million share will pay for the replacement of one aircraft rescue and firefighting vehicle, as well as the rehabilitation of nearly 6,000 feet of one of its runways (11/29).
The funding was advocated for, in part, by U.S. Rep. Eric Sorensen, whose 17th Congressional District includes Bloomington-Normal. The first-term Democrat said the projects funded by the grant "will make our local airports sustainable for the future."
Alan Sender, chairman of the Bloomington-Normal Airport Authority which oversees CIRA, thanked Sorensen for announcing and advocating for the funding in a statement, noting that both projects covered by the grant "are key for the continued safe operation of the airport."
Meanwhile, work continues on other major capital improvements at CIRA. Earlier this year, the Bloomington airport entered into the second phase of an ongoing project to relocate the airport's general aviation storage area on the property and meet FAA standards.
That project is expected to be completed in 2025.
