More than $9 million in federal funding for operational upgrades and planning at T.F. Green International Airport in Warwick, R.I., has been awarded to the Rhode Island Airport Corporation (RIAC), due to the efforts of the state's top two elected officials in Washington.
U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse announced May 24 that two federal U.S. Department of Transportation grants, totaling $9,015,250, will be administered through the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Airport Improvement Program (AIP).
The monies designated for use at T.F. Green International will be used for the realignment of Warwick's Taxiway C, and to conduct an environmental assessment on the facility's proposed South Cargo project.
"On behalf of all at the [RIAC], we are extremely grateful for the tireless work of our congressional delegation to secure federal infrastructure funding to help ensure that Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport can support our state's economy for decades to come," said Iftikhar Ahmad, RIAC's president and CEO.
Taxiway C Realignment
The largest chunk of the federal funding, $8.5 million, will go to support the reconfiguration of Taxiway C (also known as "Taxiway Charlie") to meet FAA standards, Newport Buzz reported.
The airplane connector between Runway 5-23 and Runway 34 has been in service for more than 30 years and has not been rehabilitated or rebuilt during this period. It also connects the T.F. Green International terminal to Runway 23.
Due to the taxiway's wear and tear over the last three decades, its pavement is in significant need of repair.
The realigned portion of Taxiway C will be constructed to the required 400-ft. runway-to-taxiway separation as per FAA design standards and have a 20-year design life, according to RIAC. Additionally, Taxiway C between Taxiway C1 and Runway 34 will be rehabilitated in its current alignment with a 10-year design life.
The entire $12 million project is expected to be complete by the fall of 2024.
South Cargo Project
Reed and Whitehouse also helped secure $500,500 to support the prerequisite study for a proposed cargo development at Warwick's busy airport, which would enable greater volume to be processed through the facility, bolster economic activity, and increase efficiency for cargo tenants.
"Rhode Island T.F. Green Airport has several taxiways, but [Taxiway C] is vital to the airport's layout and is overdue for an upgrade," said Reed, a senior member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee. "These federal funds will help improve the taxiway and make it safer, more efficient and resilient for years to come."
In his statement, Whitehouse remarked, "The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act [IIJA] continues to deliver for Rhode Island by providing much-needed funding to improve taxiway safety and take steps toward increasing cargo capacity at T.F. Green. I am pleased to help secure investments that will boost the Ocean State's economy for years to come."
The federal funds will flow to the state through the IIJA, which was signed into law by President Biden in November 2021. It will direct an estimated $45 million to the state's airports over five years.
Under FAA guidelines, AIP awards may cover up to 90 percent of the cost of its projects, with the rest coming from state or local funds.
RIAC is a quasi-public corporation empowered to undertake the planning, development, management, acquisition, ownership, operations, repair, construction, improvement, maintenance, sale, lease or other disposition of Rhode Island's primary airports.
Besides T.F. Green International, that list includes North Central Airport in Smithfield, Quonset Airport in North Kingstown, Westerly Airport in the town of Westerly, Middletown's Newport Airport, and the Block Island Airport, located off the south coast of the state.
Today's top stories
