Carson Airport grant confirmed, Reid says

The Federal Aviation Administration has confirmed the award of construction grants to seven Nevada airports, including Carson City’s, Sen. Harry Reid said Tuesday.

Carson will get $1.38 million, airport manager Tim Rowe said. The funding is being used to begin replacing the apron, or aircraft parking area, he said.

“We’ve really needed this done for a long time,” Rowe said.

The project, which started Monday, is the first of three that will completely replace the apron. The work should be completed in about two months.

Rowe said the airport’s grant application for the second phase is working its way through the federal system and should be announced soon.

“We’d like to have it completed before winter,” he said.

The airport hasn’t yet applied for phase three funding to complete the apron project because leaders there are still looking for the match money.

The grants, he said, are a great deal for local airports because the city’s match is only 6.25 percent of the total award.

Rowe said the runway and taxiways have already been done — including a realignment of the runway. Later, he said, a new terminal will be planned. Design of that project is on hold for now.

The seven grants awarded through the Department of Transportation total $5.87 million. The other recipients are Reno-Stead, Tonopah, Hawthorne, Jackpot’s Hayden Field, Lincoln County and Winnemucca.

“This is wonderful for Nevada’s rural airports,” Reid said.