The runway expansion at the Columbia-Marion County Airport could receive additional federal funding to complete the project ahead of schedule.
Engineer Jeff Dungan spoke with city officials during Tuesday’s Columbia Board of Aldermen meeting and said Congress had authorized funding supplemental funding for airport projects across the nation.
“The airport project is moving along really well,” he said. “Congress authorized this supplemental airport funding, and they made $1 billion available to small airports across the country. We’re on the list of priority projects.”
Dungan said the project could receive 100 percent funding, but bids and applications must be submitted by Sept. 1.
“We submitted the preliminary application today,” Dungan said. “We’re getting really good feedback. What that means is that we will possibly get our runway extended over the next year with 100 percent money. There is usually a 5 percent match, but we’ve been able to get state grants.”
Dungan said the board needed to seriously look at the closure of the rubbish pit near the airport as had been discussed in previous meetings.
“We need to keep pushing on that so we’ve got a place to go,” he said. “We’re working on that. If we get bids Sept. 1, and we get funding, the schedule will be a lost faster than what we thought.”
Dungan said he was concerned about relocation of the facility.
“If we get moving on construction in October or November, we’re going to have to have a plan because we won’t be able to use that facility anymore,” he said. “I think we’re good, we just have to come up with that site before then.”
Mayor Justin McKenzie said that City Engineer Sean Burns had spoken with him about permitting for a temporary site and would discuss them at a future meeting.
“We should be moving forward with that soon,” McKenzie said.
Pictured Above: The runway expansion project at the Columbia-Marion County Airport could see a federal funding boost soon. | Photo by Mark Rogers
