Louisiana Airports Get $3-million in Statewide Investment Grants

U.S. Senator David Vitter announces that eight Louisiana airports will be receiving grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration. The awards total more than $3-million and will be used for infrastructure updates.

"Investing in our state's transportation infrastructure helps to support commerce and increase safety for all Louisianians, which is why I'm glad to see some of our most deserving airports receive these grants," Vitter said in a news release.

Locally, the Shreveport Downtown Airport will receive over $162,000, and Shreveport Regional gets nearly $300,000, to fund projects paving taxiways. Vivian Airport will be awarded more than $1-million to fund a project paving 3,000 feet of runway.

The Ascension-St. James Airport and Transportation Authority will receive a grant of $300,000 for a runway extension project and updating runway signal and lighting structures at the Louisiana Regional Airport in Gonzales.

The St. Landry Parish-Ahart Field Airport in Opelousas gets a grant of over $83,000 for a project rehabilitating existing runway, providing for increased structural integrity and minimizing debris.

The LaSalle Economic Development District will receive a grant of $400,000 to rehabilitate runway and update the master plan of the Jena Airport.

The Greater Lafourche Port Commission will get a grant of more than $111,000 to fund a project making improvements to the airfield drainage system at the South Lafourche Leonard Miller Jr. Airport in Galliano.

And the City of Abbeville will receive a grant of $600,000 to realign a taxiway at the Abbeville Chris Crusta Memorial Airport.