BOISE, Idaho — The Boise Airport is set for major infrastructure upgrades after receiving $74 million in grants from the Federal Aviation Administration.
“The big number is about $74 million which is significant for the Boise Airport," said Beth Sumner, Deputy Director of Engineering and Planning for the Boise Airport.
The funding will support several projects aimed at improving safety and preparing the airport for continued growth.
“Probably the largest impact that will make is really providing safety, increased safety when it comes to our runway,” Sumner said.
WATCH | See what upgrades those $74M in grants are going towards
BOI's north runway — 10 Left/28 Right — is currently closed and being reconstructed in phases with the help of nearly $60 million in FAA funding.
“It’s not been reconstructed for 40 years. It was in pretty good shape, but it was time to reconstruct it. We were running into some issues,” Sumner said.
Fun fact — the runway is more than 38 inches thick in some areas.
The airport also received a $4.9 million grant to install centerline runway lighting on the north runway to help guide pilots during landings. Another $9.6 million will go toward completing the apron, the area where aircraft park, ahead of the completion of the airport’s new Concourse A.
“We feel really fortunate to be able to put this money to work to improve our runway and provide apron space that we’ll of course be growing into the next several years as we design and construct our Concourse A,” Sumner said.
Sumner says the improvements will help the airport keep up with their rapidly growing demand.
“Since 2014, we’ve seen an 81% growth rate for us at the Boise Airport, which is significant,” Sumner said.
If construction stays on schedule, upgrades to the airfield are expected to be completed by the end of 2027.
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