U.S. Senator Jon Tester (D-Montana) announced last week that his Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill secured $5,627,414 in Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Airport Improvement Grant funds for the Three Forks Airport. The funding will be used to extend a taxiway, install taxiway lighting, rehabilitate an apron, and rehabilitate a runway.
“Airports are essential infrastructure in Montana that help create jobs and keep families connected across our state,” said Tester. “I’m proud to have secured these investments that will modernize and upgrade multiple brick-and-mortar projects at the Three Forks Airport, which will help expand operations at the facility and grow the economy for folks in Gallatin County.”
These resources will go toward the construction phase of the following projects:
· Rehabilitating 2,860 feet of the existing partial parallel taxiway pavement to maintain the structural integrity of the pavement and to minimize foreign object debris.
· Rehabilitating 8,250 square yards of the existing general aviation apron pavement to maintain the structural integrity of the pavement and to minimize foreign object debris.
· Rehabilitating 5,100 feet of the existing Runway 3/21 pavement to maintain the structural integrity of the pavement and to minimize foreign object debris.
· Extending the partial parallel taxiway an additional 2,500 feet to the Runway 3 threshold.
· Installing a new parallel taxiway lighting system to enhance safe airfield operations during low visibility conditions.
· Rehabilitating 1,700 feet of the existing hangar access taxiway pavement to maintain the structural integrity of the pavement and to minimize foreign object debris.
Tester recently secured $13,602,102 in Department of Transportation funding for 19 Montana airports and he secured $28,610,817 in FAA Fiscal Year 2022 funding for 69 Montana airports as part of his bipartisan infrastructure package for repairs and upgrades. The funding is a part of approximately $144 million secured by Tester that will be awarded over five years to Montana airports through the FAA’s Airport Improvement Program, which can be used to construct or repair runways and taxiways as well as make terminal and gate improvements.