CIRA gets $1.1 million federal grant

Posted on August 17, 2017
Central Illinois Regional Airport is getting a 1-point-1 million dollar federal grant to rehab its primary taxiways. (WJBC File Photo)

By Eric Stock

BLOOMINGTON – Central Illinois Regional Airport will soon be doing some rehab work on its primary taxiways.

CIRA spokeswoman Fran Strebing told WJBC’s Scott Laughlin and Patti Penn the airport has received a $1.1 million grant through the Federal Aviation Administration.

“This is important to keep us up to the high standards that everyone has come to expect from us,” Strebing said. “We are tasked with keeping our airfield in tip-top shape. We are inspected annually.”

The funding was announced by U.S. Reps. Rodney Davis, R-Taylorville and Darin LaHood, R-Peoria.

“I’m proud to see that the Central Illinois Regional Airport is receiving this grant, an important step in ensuring that the airport is able to improve and maintain its facilities,” Davis said.

“With this grant, the Bloomington-Normal Airport Authority will now have the opportunity to rehabilitate over one and a half miles of airport infrastructure at the Central Illinois Regional Airport to improve ground crew operations and passenger safety,” stated LaHood.

Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].

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