PHOENIX — Travelers in Mesa, Tucson and Bullhead City are set to benefit from a flush of over $75 million in airport infrastructure grants from the federal government.
The 2024 Airport Improvement Program grants will send a total of $75,947,944 to Tucson International Airport, Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport and Laughlin/Bullhead International Airport.
The Tucson airport is getting the bulk of the grant money. It will receive about $55 million. Meanwhile, the Mesa airport will receive $17.9 million and the airport in Bullhead City is getting just under $3 million.
Where does the money for these airport infrastructure grants come from?
This funding is made possible through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which included a historic $25 billion investment in aviation improvement projects.
Arizona U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema led bipartisan Senate negotiations that paved the way for the law’s passing.
“I’m proud to deliver over $75 million to strengthen airport operations, safety and efficiency,” Sinema said in a news release last week. “Thanks to our bipartisan infrastructure law, Arizonans can continue traveling with peace of mind.”
What airport infrastructure projects are coming to Arizona?
The airport infrastructure grants will support several projects to rehabilitate runways, pavements and building projects. However, each of the grants is supporting a single phase of projects that will ultimately require multiple phases to be complete. It would be apt to consider these grants as paying the airports to take big steps forward in their long journeys to rehabilitate entire sections of their facilities.
For instance, Tucson Airport Authority will use the grant of over $55 million to shift one of its paved runways by 800 feet. This will make the airport conform with current standards.
The grant money is funding the thirteenth phase of this massive project at Tucson International Airport.
Secondly, Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport Authority will use the grant to fund phase one of a project to reconstruct 2,955 feet of an existing concrete runway that has reached the end of its useful life. In total, airport authorities want to reconstruct a total of 6,600 feet, so this grant money is supporting a mere portion of the overall project.
Lastly, the Laughlin/Bullhead International Airport is rehabilitating 440 feet of a paved taxiway. This will help maintain the structural integrity of the pavement, which means the airport will be able to keep using it without worrying about any safety hazards due to its age. However, this grant is funding a single phase of a multiphase project to rehabilitate a total of 3,735 feet of the existing taxiway.
Mark Kelly says federal infrastructure funding will benefit Arizona
Arizona U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly worked closely with Sinema to pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
He said he’s happy to see the law having a positive impact on Arizona’s transit system.
“As hubs for tourism and commerce, Arizona’s airports play a central role in growing our economy,” Kelly said in the release. “These investments will increase passenger safety, ensure our airports can continue to operate at full capacity and create good paying jobs for Arizonans in the process.”