The Northwest Regional Airport is getting a $2 million grant from the provincial government to help pay for a runway rehabilitation and construction project that will cost upwards of $5 million.
The remainder of the cost will come from an airport reserve account and having the provincial grant means the airport can use the money for other necessary projects, said airport manager Carman Hendry.
“It’s really nice to see this. It’s a pleasant surprise,” he said.
What’s involved is the repaving of Taxiway Bravo to Runway 21, an access point used by medevac flights taking them to the location for patient transfer to and from waiting ambulances.
“It’s in dire need of repair. It dates back to the 1950s,” said Hendry.
In all, 157,000 square feet of asphalt at a depth of four inches will be replaced.
The asphalt project alone won’t cost up to $5 million, but significant infrastructure work will be needed to accompany the improvement.
“There aren’t any lights now so we will be installing lights and that will need cabling,” Hendry added.
He said the work will be done this year.
The asphalt replacement continues what has been an ongoing and significant set of improvements at the airport stretching back at least a decade.
Underway right now is an expansion of the arrivals area to provide more space and a larger luggage carousel. Outsid, expansion of the long-term parking lot is underway.
The $2 million for the airport comes from $11 million announced for projects at 24 airports.
Elsewhere in the region, $918,652 will be spend on fencing the perimeter of the Dease Lake airport while Prince George will spend $60,000 to improve its security and communications.
The coastal community of Metlakatla’s emergency heliport will undergo an upgrade worth $567,000.