Airports in Old Town and Owls Head have received a total of about $3.8 million in federal grants for paving their runways, members of Maine’s congressional delegation announced this week.
The Knox County Regional Airport in Owls Head will receive $2 million, and the Dewitt Field Old Town Municipal Airport will receive nearly $1.8 million, according to a joint news release issued by U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King.
U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree stated in a separate release that the grant for the airport in Owls Head will allow for the main 5,000-foot-long runway to be resurfaced. The last time the runway had a major overhaul was 20 years ago, and the asphalt has reached the end of its useful life, she said.
“About 30,000 people come and go at Knox County Regional every year. The airport is an important part of the local economy and this investment will help make sure the facility is equipped to safely handle that traffic for years to come,” Pingree said. “And since it’s a Maine construction company doing the work, it’s also going to support local jobs.”
The job has been awarded to Lane Construction of Westbrook, with work expected to be done in late September and early October. During construction, the main runway will be closed for about 12 days. The airport still will be able to handle smaller aircraft on a secondary runway.
“As the economy starts to pick up, so does traffic at the airport. Refurbishing that runway is going to put us in a good position to handle that traffic going forward,” Knox County airport manager Jeff Northgraves said in Pingree’s release.
“Maine’s large geographic area makes air travel an important transportation option to connect towns and cities across the state,” Sens. Collins and King said in their joint statement. “Maine’s airports play a vital role in supporting local businesses, especially in the state’s more rural regions. This funding will help make necessary improvements and maintain a safe operational environment at our airports.”