MORGANTOWN — The Morgantown Municipal Airport’s ongoing runway extension project will be the recipient of another $350,142 in federal funding.
U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), both members of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced Tuesday the money is coming by way of the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Improvement Program.
Morgantown Communications Director Andrew Stacy said the funds will be used to reimburse the airport for property acquisition tied to the project. Stacy said the airport closed on parcels totaling 1.1 acres, including three dwellings, earlier this year.
The runway extension project has been a goal of the municipally-owned airport going back more than a decade.
The project, which will add 1,001 feet to the existing 5,199-foot runway, received the needed clearances from the FAA in November 2019.
Groundbreaking on the opening phase of the five year, $50 million extension was held in March 2021.
City and airport officials have said the extension will enhance existing operations, improve safety and attract new businesses by allowing larger aircraft to fly directly into Morgantown.
Further, the estimated 4.4 million cubic yards of dirt needed to support the extension is being pulled from the future site of the 90-acre I-68 Business Park, which, on its own, will be the largest development project in the city’s history.
“Expanding the capacity and capability of our airports is crucial in increasing their impact, which is why I have long supported runway expansion efforts in Morgantown and enjoyed receiving regular updates on the project,” Senator Capito said.
Both Capito and Manchin noted the completed project will have impacts far beyond Morgantown.
“I am pleased the FAA is investing in this runway extension project at the Morgantown Municipal Airport to improve safety and efficiency for West Virginians and Americans traveling to and within our great state,” Senator Manchin said. “Our airports are the gateway to the rest of the world, and this investment will boost tourism and spur economic development across the entire state.”
