The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) announced five airports in Iowa will receive $27 million in overall grant funding under the fiscal year 2022 Airport Terminal Program, which was created by the bipartisan infrastructure law. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) supported the passage of this critical infrastructure funding – funding that is now directly benefiting and improving communities across Iowa. This latest announcement will benefit Iowans in the Cedar Rapids, Council Bluffs, Des Moines, Dubuque and Washington areas by funding much-needed airport improvement projects.
“Iowa’s regional airports support all kinds of economic activity, from transporting goods to providing Iowans with connections to various destinations across the country. It’s critical that we keep our airport infrastructure up to date to maintain a resilient supply chain and a healthy economy. I supported the bipartisan infrastructure law to invest in Iowans and Iowa’s economy, and I’m glad to see our state is continuing to benefit from this investment,” Grassley said.
The bipartisan infrastructure law contains $5 billion to provide regional airports with grant opportunities. Following a competitive application process, USDOT awarded grants to airports that are seeking to update crumbling infrastructure, increase airport capacity and safety and improve air traffic control towers, which may be contributing to flight delays or cancellations.
In Iowa, five airports will be awarded an overall total of roughly $27 million:
- Council Bluffs Municipal Airport (CBF): $112,500 to improve accessibility;
- Des Moines International Airport (DSM): $5 million to complete the first stage of a new terminal construction project;
- Dubuque Regional Airport (DBQ): $1.3 million to make improvements to the passenger terminal;
- Eastern Iowa Airport (CID): $20.4 million to expand the passenger terminal, completing the terminal modernization program; and
- Washington Municipal Airport (AWG): $129,675 to make improvements to the general aviation terminal.
Funding from the bipartisan infrastructure law has already been announced for many other projects across the state. Earlier this year, the Lewis & Clark Regional Water System – which is responsible for providing rural water to northwest Iowa communities like Rock Rapids, Hull and Sioux Center – received $75.5 million from the infrastructure bill. Project leaders plan to use this investment to finish 17 miles of pipeline, construct two meter buildings and build a new pump station. On the other side of the state, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced an $829.1 million investment in lock and dam modernization projects along the upper Mississippi River – one of Iowa’s top five infrastructure improvement priorities. Additionally, with funding from the bipartisan infrastructure bill, the Iowa Department of Transportation (IDOT) has updated its five-year plan to include many road and bridge improvement projects – including for the IA 12 Gordon Drive Bridge in Sioux City and the IA 58 Greenhill Road Interchange in Cedar Falls. These are only a few examples of many similar projects across Iowa that now have much-needed funding to finish the job due to the bipartisan infrastructure law.
