Gary airport to get $1 million in federal stimulus funds

(Merrillville) Post-Tribune

Thursday, April 16, 2009 4:20 AM

Post-Tribune staff report

The Gary/Chicago International Airport will receive $1,030,000 from the Federal Aviation Administration authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, U.S. Rep. Peter Visclosky announced Wednesday.

The money will be used on the airport's runway improvements.

The FAA allocated America Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds on a discretionary basis, assessing projects based on a system that addressed airport safety and security, infrastructure, runway safety, increased capacity, and mitigation of environmental impacts.

The planned expansion would increase the size of the airport by roughly 50 percent and extend the main runway to a length of 9,000 feet.

Additionally, Visclosky directed $14.6 million to the airport for apron expansion, runway overlay, safety modernization, and various other improvements, and $24.9 million for the Indiana National Guard Readiness Center at the airport.