The Monroe County Airport in Bloomington is one of 15 Indiana Airports to receive federal funding to improve its infrastructure.
The $1.12 million grant from the Federal Aviation Administration is part of $478 million in infrastructure grants nationwide, including more than $17 million for Indiana.
The Indiana grant awards include almost $5 million to Indianapolis International Airport for taxiway and apron rehabilitation and security enhancements and $455,000 each to Columbus Municipal Airport to update its master plan and to Seymour's Freeman Municipal Airport for taxiway rehabilitation.
In Monroe County, the money will be used to repave the surface of Taxiway Alpha, which runs parallel with the airport’s biggest runway.
Monroe County Airport Director Carlos Laverty says there was some difficulty securing a contractor bid because of an uptick in construction activity statewide.
“There’s just such a strong need for… there’s such a tight construction market right now, especially when it comes to roadways and surface work,” says Laverty.
Monroe County Airport officials were able to secure a contractor and construction on the taxiway is scheduled to begin in September. It’s expected to take a few weeks to complete.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.