This week, U.S. Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., announced a Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) Airport Improvement Program Grant award for Venice Municipal Airport.
The airport will receive $744,500 in discretionary funding and $150,000 in entitlement funding to seal the runway pavement surface and pavement joints.
“I’m pleased to announce we’ve secured nearly $900,000 in federal funds to rehabilitate the Venice Municipal Airport runways. This investment in our district will help SW Florida keep pace with the growing tourism demand and ensure our airport runways are in top shape for the aviation industry,” said Steube on Thursday.
The runway pavement at Venice Municipal Airport was last rehabilitated in 2013 and 2014 and is recommended for rejuvenation in 2022 by the Florida Department of Transportation to extend the useful life of the pavement. The current pavement condition is rated as fair to good by the FDOT making the pavements an eligible candidate to compete for state and federal funds to support a pavement rejuvenation project that will protect and extend the useful life of the pavement and save considerable long-term reconstruction costs in the future. The project will include the removal of all existing markings, sealing of cracks, application of a rejuvenating sealcoat, and installation of new pavement markings after the rejuvenation process. The process is expected to take place over a two-week period at which time the runway will be tested for friction compliance and re-opened to aircraft.
The FAA’s Airport Improvement Program (AIP) provides grants to public agencies — and, in some cases, to private owners and entities — for the planning and development of public-use airports that are included in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS).
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