University Park Airport Awarded $8.59 Million Federal Grant

University Park Airport will receive an $8.59 million U.S. Department of Transportation grant to support an ongoing infrastructure improvement project, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., said in a statement on Friday.

“This $8.59 million award for University Park Airport adds to the flow of much-needed funds for the airport that connects Centre County to the country and beyond,” Casey said. “As the airport makes critical infrastructure upgrades, this funding will ensure its taxiways keep aircraft moving swiftly and efficiently.”

The funding from the Airport Improvement Program.will be used toward the next phases of a multi-year, $35 million rehabilitation of parallel taxiway A, which University Park Airport Director Bryan Rodgers said is a “critical piece of infrastructure” for the facility.

“The taxiway pavement is beyond its useful life,” Rodgers said. “We’re rehabilitating that pavement and improving stormwater [management], adding shoulders and doing some other improvements… We’re realigning some taxiways that will make it easier for larger narrow-bodied aircraft to taxi about the airport.”

Phases 1 through 3 of the project began in 2021 and were just recently completed, improving a little less than half of the taxiway.

With the new funding in place Phases 4 and 5 are scheduled to commence in spring 2023, Rodgers said. A final phase is tentatively planned for 2024.

The Airport Improvement Program grant is crucial to the overall funding of the project, Rodgers added.

“It’s welcome funding,” he said. “We’re certainly very appreciative of Senator Casey’s efforts in obtaining this funding and thankful that he recognizes University Park Airport as a critical transportation facility for the region.”

University Park Airport has now received $10.5 million in federal funding in the last year. In December, Casey announced the airport would receive $1.9 million in Airport Infrastructure Grant funds.