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Regional Virginia airports receive $5.5 million in federal grants from FAA

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The Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration will fund new taxiways, rehabilitate runway lighting and removal of obstructions to meet FAA standards at five regional airports in Virginia.

Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine announced July 27 that $5,511,125 will fund improvements at airports in Louisa County, Halifax County, Wise, Martinsville and Chesapeake.

“This funding will support a series of important projects in different stages at regional airports throughout the Commonwealth,” Warner and Kaine said in a joint press release. “These airports serve the transportation needs of thousands of Virginians every year and we are happy to see this funding go toward critical improvements.”

Warner and Kaine announced last week that nearly $6 million would be allocated for Virginia airports, as well as $50 million announced in early July. According to the press release, $400 million for Virginia airports was secured through the bipartisan infrastructure law in November 2021.

The most recent funding allocation from the FAA will provide $178,200 for Freeman Field in Louisa County for construction of new taxiways. In Halifax County, $110,684 will replace path indicators, end identifier lights and runway lighting systems at William M. Tuck Airport. Lonesome Pine Airport in Wise will receive $4,555,463 for final phase of rehabilitating runway lighting. Martinsville’s Blue Ridge Airport will receive $216,688 for final phase of expanding the existing terminal apron to accommodate increased use. Chesapeake Regional Airport will remove non-hazard obstructions to comply with FAA standards with $450,090 from the FAA.

Rebecca Barnabi

Rebecca Barnabi

Rebecca J. Barnabi is the national editor of Augusta Free Press. A graduate of the University of Mary Washington, she began her journalism career at The Fredericksburg Free-Lance Star. In 2013, she was awarded first place for feature writing in the Maryland, Delaware, District of Columbia Awards Program, and was honored by the Virginia School Boards Association’s 2019 Media Honor Roll Program for her coverage of Waynesboro Schools. Her background in newspapers includes writing about features, local government, education and the arts.