ROME — Griffiss International Airport will receive $3,666,303 for pavement rehabilitation and replacement snow-removal equipment as part of a federal funding package for upstate New York airports.
Griffiss Airport Receives $3.66M for Repairs and Equipment
U.S. Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand announced the awards September 14. The package received additional local coverage September 20, but the grant announcement itself dates to the earlier day.
The Rome airport’s allocation is part of $33,720,260 awarded through the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Improvement Program.
Work planned at Griffiss
The senators’ announcement identifies rehabilitation of about 1,100 square yards of existing terminal apron pavement. The work is intended to maintain the pavement’s structural integrity and reduce loose debris.
The grants also will replace a front-end loader and a snow blower that have reached the end of their useful lives. The announcement describes the funded construction as the final phase of the project.
These are airfield maintenance and winter-readiness investments. The release does not announce a new airline route, a passenger-service expansion or a construction completion date.
Syracuse also receives funding
Syracuse Hancock International Airport will receive $12.96 million for work associated with its public-use deicing facilities. That investment is relevant to Mohawk Valley residents who travel through Syracuse.
The package also includes runway, taxiway, apron or snow-equipment projects in the Southern Tier, Western New York and North Country.
Together, the projects show the range of work covered by the awards, from maintaining existing pavement to replacing equipment used during winter operations.
A local infrastructure story
At Griffiss, the clearest local change is the combination of surface repairs and newer snow-removal machinery. The funding description focuses on maintaining safe operating conditions rather than adding a new service.
Readers looking for project schedules should distinguish the grant award from a contractor’s timetable. The senators’ release establishes the amount and scope of the investment, but it does not provide a start date or explain possible effects on individual airport operations.
Source: Schumer and Gillibrand’s September 14 funding announcement. Additional reporting: Rome Sentinel.
