The Mt. Sterling Municipal Airport is receiving more than $1 million for safety improvements for its taxiway.
The Quincy Herald-Whig reports that the airport is expanding its taxiway to accommodate for a recent uptick in traffic.
Paul Walker, Mt. Sterling’s Airport Manager, told the Herald-Whig that Dot Foods in Mount Sterling is a primary customer of the airport, both for their company and bringing in representatives of other companies that are working with Dot. However, he says recently, the airport is servicing a lot of private planes for celebrities visiting Brown, Adams, and Pike counties to deer hunt this time of year.
The taxiway expansion is being paid for by a $1.35 million grant with a $150,000 local match. The grant was part of $94 million distributed to nearly 100 airports across the state through the $45 billion Rebuild Illinois capital infrastructure plan.
The project will expand the airport’s taxiway to the north end of the 5,905 foot long runway, making for a more complete circuit for planes coming in and taking off so that planes no longer have to turn around on the current runway.
Also receiving funds through the Rebuild Illinois program was Pittsfield’s Penstone Municipal Airport. It received $157,500 to buy snow removal equipment.