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DOT
81-03
Contact: Bill Mosley
Tel.: (202) 366-5571
Monday, August 25, 2003
U.S.
Transportation Secretary Mineta Announces $13.6 Million for Michigan Airports
U.S.
Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta today announced grants of $13.6
million to enhance safety at airports in Michigan.
Cherry
Capital Airport in Traverse City received a grant of $8.5 million, while Sawyer
International Airport in Gwinn received $5.1 million.
"President
Bush and I remain dedicated to building a safe, secure and reliable
transportation system that operates efficiently, strengthens the economy and
improves our quality of life," Secretary Mineta said.
"Safety is the Bush administration's top transportation priority,
and protecting and improving our transportation infrastructure is of central
importance to all Americans. These
grants will help Michigan's airports maintain the highest levels of safety in
the years ahead."
The
grant to Cherry Capital will support construction of a new south terminal
building and associated facilities. The
existing terminal is 30 years old and does not have adequate capacity to
accommodate current and forecasted air carrier requirements and passenger
handling services. The building, to
be constructed over the next two to three years, will also meet enhanced
security requirements. The project
also includes construction of a blast wall to provide noise mitigation, a new
taxiway, a perimeter service road and a terminal apron.
The grant will also fund a study of a runway safety area to evaluate its
existing conditions.
The
award to Sawyer International will provide funding for a facility to house
aircraft rescue and fire fighting vehicles.
The new facility will be located to allow the airport to meet the
emergency response times required by the U.S. Department of Transportation's
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as well as provide the space and equipment
to perform maintenance on vehicles. The
grant will also fund the construction of a building to house snow removal
equipment.
The
grants come from the FAA's Airport Improvement Program.
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