Tyler Airport Receives $5.9 Million Grant By MALENA OGLES, Staff Writer   |   Mar 17, 2009

Tyler Pounds Regional Airport was awarded a $5.9 million grant from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to conduct extensive repairs on one of three airport runways.

According to information provided by the city of Tyler, the grant does not require local matching funds and will cover 100 percent of the construction costs.

The funds will renovate runway 17-35, which is about 18 years old, by base repair, overlay and grooving.

Airport Manager Davis Dickson said runway 17-35 was already being looked at as an area that was in need of repair when the city was notified of a possible grant.

"It's excellent timing," Dickson said. "This project will benefit the public and will certainly be a good project to generate more jobs in the area."

Davis said when the city first learned of the grant, engineers "aggressively began work" to put the city in a position to receive the grant.

"We are still trying to pursue options for other grants," Dickson said, adding that the project is an integral part to moving forward with developing the land for general aviation.

"We are going to be real assertive to look for other grants to finish other parts that complement the runway and keep the project moving forward," he said.

Construction for the runway rehabilitation project is expected to begin as early as June.

Tyler's new terminal was completed in 2002 at a cost of $17.6 million -- 40 percent of which was funded by the Federal Aviation Administration.

The new terminal improved passenger flow, expanded customer parking, enhanced traffic movement for passenger pick-up and drop off, streamlined airline operations areas, modernized rental car operations, utilized proactive planning to address future aviation needs for the next 20 years, and added security measures for customer safety.

In 2007, the airport added jet bridges to further strengthen security and passenger safety.

"Runway 17-35 is a great first step towards launching the general aviation development plan. This project is tied to future plans to construct a parallel taxiway to runway 17-35 as well as a corporate air park," Mayor Barbara Bass said. "This project is essential for the future growth of general aviation facilities at Tyler Pounds Regional Airport."

Currently Tyler Pounds serves 150,000 travelers each year.