CLEVELAND — The Biden administration has announced that it is providing $970 million for improvements at 114 airports around the country, with work ranging from wider concourses and new baggage-handling systems to new terminals at some small airfields.
Administration officials said the money comes from a $5 billion grant program to modernize airport terminals.
Locally, Cleveland Hopkins International Airport will receive $8 million of the funds that will be used for the following terminal upgrades:
- Rehabilitating terminal wall surfaces
- Replacing tunnel ceiling
- Waterproofing the membrane in the tunnel tramway
- Performing structural repairs and installing a new drainage system at the intermodal terminus of Greater Cleveland RTA’s public, rapid-transit rail service at the terminal
“Ohio airports are vital infrastructure supporting travel and commerce in our state,” said U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH). “These investments will enhance safety and operations at the Cleveland Hopkins International Airport and improve travel for Ohio families and businesses.”
The money will also fund a portion of Hopkins Airport's “restroom renovation project,” which officials say will modernize 13 restrooms in the terminal.
“This investment is significant for Cleveland as we move forward with the Terminal Modernization Development Program (TMDP) for future growth and modernization of our airport facility. Our airport is a vital transportation hub for our community and visitors, and this grant will allow us to make critical improvements to ensure its continued success. We are extremely grateful to Senator Brown for his work with the Biden-Harris Administration on this monumental investment in Cleveland Hopkins International Airport,” added Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb in a release from Brown's office.
In addition, the Lake County Executive Airport in Willoughby will be receiving $2.6 million from the federal government to replace its 37-year-old trailer with a new terminal building.
The largest sum, $50 million, will go to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida for a project to connect terminals behind the security checkpoints and provide new retail space and other amenities.
O'Hare International Airport in Chicago will get $40 million to widen a concourse, reconfigure a security checkpoint and other changes. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, Washington Dulles International Airport in northern Virginia, San Francisco International and Los Angeles International will receive amounts ranging from $31 million to $36 million.
A Federal Aviation Administration official said there were more than 600 applications and requests totaled $14 billion.
The administration has gone to great lengths to promote new and proposed protections for air travelers — seeing airlines as an easy target of consumer frustration.
President Joe Biden has railed against fees that some airlines charge to let families sit together. The Transportation Department published an online “dashboard” to prod airlines to commit to improving customer service.
“Another part of that better travel experience is to invest in our physical infrastructure, to improve the airports,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in discussing the airport grants with reporters.
Last month, the Transportation Department announced $244 million in grants for improvements to other airport facilities including runways and taxiways.
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