By james art Hollywood Burbank Airport in Burbank, California, April 23, 2019. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Southern California airports received more than $60 million in grants announced this week by the Federal Aviation Administration for various upgrade projects, part of an estimated $970 million in funds awarded to airports nationwide.
“Investing in America’s airport infrastructure isn’t just about upgrading runways and terminals — it’s about growing local economies, creating jobs and ensuring the safety and efficiency of travel,” US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement. “With the grants we’re announcing today — totaling nearly $1 billion — we’re helping modernize 125 airports across the country to make their operations safer, more accessible and more convenient for travelers.”
A total of 125 airport-related projects across the country received funding.
Los Angeles International Airport received $30 million to be used for the Terminal Roadways project, which includes “construction of roadways, ramps, bridges, pedestrian overpasses, intersection improvements, traffic signals/controls, traffic monitoring/management equipment , street lighting, signs and stripes, sidewalks.”
Santa Ana’s John Wayne Airport received $10.6 million to install six replacement escalators that are earthquake-safe, more reliable and will “generate up to 20 percent energy savings,” according to the FAA.
Hollywood Burbank Airport received $9.3 million for “exterior glass, roof and drywall for a replacement passenger terminal consisting of 14 gates.”
San Diego International Airport received nearly $12.1 million to build a new terminal, including “installation of two passenger boarding bridges, piles, foundation concrete, flooring, roofing and structural steel.”
Palm Springs International Airport, meanwhile, received $6 million to fund “demolition of existing foundations and exterior building walls, as well as construction of a new foundation to expand the existing terminal.”
“We work to ensure the safety, comfort and convenience of passengers during their journey to the airport,” FAA Associate Administrator for Airports Shanetta R. Griffin said in a statement. “Today’s investments also build communities by providing good-paying jobs and injecting dollars into local economies.”