NORTH KINGSTOWN, RI – In an effort to make our airports safer, increase travel to Rhode Island, and promote long-term economic growth and development, U.S. Senator Jack Reed today announced $1.7 million in federal funding to help repair and maintain a key runway at Quonset State Airport.

Quonset Airport is a joint (civil, military, public) use airport.  It is the second largest public use airport in the state, serves as the home of Quonset Point Air National Guard Station and the 143rd Airlift Wing of the Rhode Island Air National Guard, and hosts a popular annual summer air show.  Aircraft big and small use the general aviation facility -- from hulking C-130Js to small, private planes – and the airport helps attract business travelers and tourism to the area.

However, recent damage to the surface of one of its runways has caused the airport to operate at less than full capacity.

Thanks in part to Senator Reed and a $1.7 million Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grant, work is now underway to repair the runway, replace the culvert, and restore taxiway and runway pavements and safety areas. 

Today, Senator Reed joined Rhode Island Airport Corporation (RIAC) President and CEO Kelly J. Fredericks and officials from the Rhode Island National Guard to tour the facility and get a look at the progress workers are making on runway repairs and safety improvements.  The project, which will cost in total an estimated $3.8 million, is underway and expected to be completed by Thanksgiving.  The contractor leading the work is Northern Construction, LLC.  The construction project will bring the runway back into compliance with FAA standards.

“This federal runway rehabilitation funding is a much needed investment in making our airports safer and more efficient, and making air travel to and from Rhode Island more accessible," said Reed, a member of the Appropriations Committee.  “Quonset State Airport is an important link in our transportation infrastructure.  Repairing the runway is critical to attracting business and tourism to the region.  I appreciate the great work RIAC does and strong support from the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration to ensure Rhode Island can compete and our regional airports can safely and effectively serve communities throughout the state.”

Earlier this month, Reed brought U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Michael Huerta to Rhode Island to celebrate the progress being made expanding the runway and modernizing T.F. Green Airport.  Reed also brought U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), the Chairwoman of the Appropriations Committee, to Rhode Island earlier this year to meet with RIAC and state transportation officials and discuss efforts to enhance the state’s transportation infrastructure.

“We are thankful for the generous support of Senator Reed and the entire Rhode Island delegation,”  said RIAC President and CEO Kelly J. Fredericks.  “By securing the necessary funding for the unanticipated work at Quonset Airport, his efforts have been in critical in moving the repair work forward in a timely manner.  Senator Reed continues to be a champion for T.F. Green and the general aviation airports and is a champion for the  state’s aviation industry .  His support for travel and tourism in the state are invaluable.”

Reed says he is continuing to work to make the case to the FAA that additional federal funds should be put toward the project.

Over the years, Reed has worked to invest $81.6 million in federal funds to upgrade National guard facilities and help modernize Quonset Airport, including:

• $38 million for a new 136,000 square foot Army Aviation Complex. The new aviation complex will allow for the modernization and expansion of maintenance, flight operations, flight line services, administration, and both ground and aviation training. 

• $27.4 million to demolish the existing maintenance hangar, which was built in 1941, and construct a new maintenance complex for the Air National Guard that can accommodate the C-130Js.

• $7.7 million to construct a new air traffic control tower at Quonset Airport.  The original tower was constructed in 1941 and was used for commercial flights and has been the home of the Rhode Island National Guard’s 143rd Airlift Wing.  While the old tower is no longer required for commercial air traffic, Air National Guard operational requirements necessitate an adequately sized, sited, and configured air traffic control tower and tower cab for the control of ground movement and air operations on and around the base. 

• $5 million to build a new state-of-the-art, cyber-space focused training facility for the Air National Guard’s 102nd Information Warfare Squadron, (IWS).

• $3.5 million to help rebuild and enhance operations at Quonset Airport, including rebuilding, marking, and lighting Taxiway A, a paved surface about 2,600 feet long and 75 feet wide.  The main runway there, at 7,500 feet, is the longest paved runway in the state.

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