Press Releases
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senators Jay Rockefeller, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and Joe Manchin, as well as Congressman Nick Rahall, today announced $2,411,893 in federal funding for the Raleigh County Memorial Airport in Beckley to expand the airfield.
“This funding will increase the capacity of the Beckley airport and improve safety,” said Rockefeller. “This expansion will be a huge advantage for the people and businesses around Beckley, and also during the Boy Scouts Jamboree next year. The area is preparing for the influx of visitors, and this grant will help make sure that it runs smoothly. I have long fought for our rural airports as they provide a crucial link to economic growth and development, and this funding shows that.”
“The Boy Scouts Jamboree is a tremendous opportunity to showcase our beautiful state, especially the area around Beckley,” Manchin said. “Improving the airport’s facilities will expand business opportunity and help create good jobs in the area. I’ve always said that infrastructure is a commonsense investment to create good jobs, and this project is exactly the kind of investment we need to make.”
“Growing pains at Raleigh County Memorial Airport are good signs for our region’s economy,” said Rahall, top Democrat on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. “This federal investment will help pave the way for additional space needed to accommodate traffic generated by the Boy Scout Reserve. But it also is an indicator that area small businesses must also be prepared to engage that same growth with their products, services and incomparable hospitality.”
The federal funding was made available through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration.
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