Grants will improve area airports

Twenty-six airports will make infrastructure and equipment upgrades to maintain safety and expand aviation-related operational and economic opportunities with the assistance of over $6 million in state investments, Gov. Tom Wolf announced.

“With more than 400 airports across the state, this support from my administration helps keep aviation a viable transportation alternative and adds to our economy as well,” Wolf said. “These airports support hundreds of thousands of jobs and offer services that are attractive to the business community and others interested in general aviation.”

Included in the grants is $2.2 million in state funding from PennDOT’s Aviation Development Program, which comes from the state’s jet fuel tax, and $4 million from the Multimodal fund. The two funding streams leverage $2.1 million in local matching funds. Public-use airports in the state are eligible for the Aviation Development Program.

Among those airports are several in the area nearby airports that will see improvements include:

Berks County

• Reading Regional / Carl A. Spaatz Field — $552,750 to rehabilitate the terminal parking lot.

Chester County

• Brandywine Regional Airport — $150,000 for the design of new hangar site infrastructure.

• Chester County/ G.O. Carlson Airport — $1 million for the construction of new hangar site development infrastructure; $18,750 to install an airport communications link between aircraft and air traffic control.

Montgomery County

• Heritage Field (formerly known as Pottstown-Limerick Airport) — $261,525 to design new hangars, taxiway access and an access road.