Arlington Airport grant will fund taxiway work

Published 10:45 pm Friday, April 11, 2008

ARLINGTON — The Arlington Airport received a $1.05 million grant this week to improve airplane traffic circulation and strengthen taxiways at the municipal facility.

The grant, from the federal Department of Transportation, will pay for an asphalt overlay that will allow corporate planes weighing about 35,000 pounds to continue to use one of the main taxiways.

Currently the taxiway has a load limit of 10,000 pounds or less and the larger planes have been using the taxiway, airport manager Rob Putnam said.

U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Everett, toured the airport with Putnam on Friday.

“A study by the Washington state Department of Transportation shows that Arlington Airport puts millions of dollars into our economy and helps support more than 300 local jobs,” said Larsen, who is a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

Work on the taxiway should begin near the end of May, Putnam said.