Today during a special Central West Virginia Airport Authority meeting, board members voted to accept two grants from the WVDOT Division of Multimodal Transportation Facilities.
In March 2022, the West Virginia Legislature disbanded the former West Virginia Aeronautics Commission, State Rail Authority, Division of Public Transit and Public Port Authority and reestablished their missions under the umbrella of the Division of Multimodal Transportation Facilities.
“We so appreciate the Division of Multimodal Transportation Facilities for their efforts to prioritize funding for airport projects in our State,” CRW Airport Director and CEO Dominique Ranieri said. “This match funding helps West Virginia’s airports bring in as much Federal funding as possible to maintain and improve our aviation infrastructure.”
The first grant of $646,702 provides the 5% match for CRW’s Runway Rehabilitation Phase III project.
In June of 2022, West Virginia International Yeager Airport (CRW) received an Airport Improvement Program grant from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for $12,394,048 that funded the final phase of the Runway Rehabilitation project. The project was a comprehensive upgrade that provided a 2-inch asphalt overlay of the runway. This project also included rehabilitating the runway lighting system, installing energy-efficient LED runway edge lights, electrical conductors, and runway exit sign modifications.
In a second vote, the CWVRAA board formally accepted $58,003 from the Division of Multimodal Transportation Facilities. The 5% matching funds will be used to complete Phase 2 of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed airfield, safety, and terminal improvement project.
The purpose of the EIS is to evaluate the potential environmental effects of the project as required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The proposed project being studied would establish standard 1,000-foot-long by 500-foot-wide runway safety areas at both ends of the runway to meet the takeoff runway length needs of the existing and forecast future aircraft fleet mix at CRW.
Additionally, Phase 2 of the proposed project proposes a further shift and extension of Runway 5-23 to provide an 8,000-foot runway, relocation of the remaining portions of Taxiway A that do not meet FAA design standards, development of an additional gate at the terminal facility, and the potential relocation of the existing Airport Traffic Control Tower (ATCT).
“The Division of Multimodal Transportation is excited to be able to provide matching funds for these worthwhile expansion projects at the CRW Airport,” WV Division of Multimodal Transportation Facilities Commissioner Cindy Butler said. “We look forward to continuing our partnership with CRW for many years to come.”
