The Gainesville Regional Airport will receive more than $4 million dollars in grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation for $4.7 million in improvements to the taxiway (between runways and terminals) and the apron (where planes are parked).
The City of Gainesville has been awarded a $2,487,157 discretionary grant to repave the airport’s main commercial taxiway, replace lighting and signage, and relocate a connector between the taxiway and apron just west of the current connector to runway 11-29, the main commercial runway. The Federal Aviation Authority will also provide $1,790,270 in entitlement funds from the Airport Trust Fund
“The new connector to the taxiway is important to the safety of pilots traversing from apron to taxiway to runway,” said airport CEO Allan Penska in a release. “The connector is also the first step in expanding the apron to our west, allowing for safer passenger boarding.”
The Florida Department of Transportation has also provided a $170,000 grant for parking lot improvements and another small grant for improvements to the airport’s general aviation terminal.
The improvements are scheduled for about a seven-month period and could begin as soon as November.
The current qualified low bidder for the construction is Anderson Colombia out of Lake City at $4,292,821.70. Total project costs are expected to be $4,753,196.40. Additional costs for engineering, project inspection and testing services will be provided by URS, Inc. out of their Lake City office.
