Today, Rep. Cindy Axne (IA-03) announced a new $702,000 federal grant that will be used to reconstruct 9,000 feet of existing runway at the Des Moines International Airport.
“I’m happy to see that the Des Moines International Airport was awarded this grant money to better its runway and keep everyone who is traveling to and from Iowa safe,” said Rep. Axne. “I know airport staff has been working on this project for a long time, and I am glad to see that all of their hard work continues to pay off.”
These funds have been awarded from the FY21 Airport Improvement Program (AIP) which was funded through the FY21 appropriations legislation passed by Congress and supported by Rep. Axne last December. AIP funds airport infrastructure projects such as runways, taxiways, signage, lighting, and markings.
The design contract for the project has already been awarded, and the design process is expected to take ten months. The goal is to have the reconstruction plans ready by summer 2022, and to bid out the project at that time.
Construction is scheduled to take place in 2023.
Rep. Axne has also been focused on making government grants more accessible and transparent.
In 2019, President Trump signed the Axne-sponsored Grant Reporting Efficiency and Agreements Transparency (GREAT) Act of 2019 into law, streamlining the outdated and burdensome federal grant process, making it easier and cheaper for Iowans to apply for grants, and allowing taxpayers to better track government spending.
