The Federal Aviation Administration will invest almost $18 million in Alabama airports, including more than $4 million at the Tuscaloosa National Airport, outgoing U.S. Senator Richard Shelby announced Tuesday afternoon.

Shelby has long held a reputation in the Senate for his ability to bring federal funds back to his home state of Alabama, and he did so again this week.

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The $17.8 million in grant money will be invested in projects at nine Alabama airports, and of those, only Mobile International Airport was awarded more than Tuscaloosa.

The projects announced Tuesday are as follows:

  • Mobile International Airport, Mobile, Alabama – $6,762,732 to reconstruct an apron
  • Tuscaloosa National Airport, Tuscaloosa, Alabama – $4,213,116 to reconstruct an apron
  • Auburn University Regional Airport, Auburn, Alabama – $2,533,041 to construct, extend, and improve a safety area
  • Prattville Airport-Grouby Field, Prattville, Alabama – $1,425,182 to reconstruct an apron
  • Mobile International Airport, Mobile, Alabama – $940,000 to improve airport drainage and erosion control
  • Isbell Field Airport, Fort Payne, Alabama – $829,227 to reconstruct a taxilane
  • Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport, Birmingham, Alabama – $456,716 to rehabilitate an apron
  • Chilton County Airport, Clanton, Alabama – $261,736 to extend a runway
  • Abbeville Municipal Airport, Abbeville, Alabama – $236,700 to extend a runway
  • Enterprise Municipal Airport, Enterprise, Alabama – $160,000 to extend a runway

“Alabama’s local and regional airports play a significant role in our state’s economy, and I am proud that FAA sees the value in supporting them. These improvements will go a long way toward increasing travel to and from Alabama and the overall safety of these airports,” Senator Shelby said. “This investment stands to benefit several communities in Alabama, and I look forward to witnessing the growth and success of each of them.”

For more on this project as it develops, stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread.

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