State funds go to Eastern Iowa airports

DES MOINES -- The Iowa Transportation Commission on Tuesday approved $5.6 million for improvements at the state's commercial and general aviation airports during the 2013 fiscal year.

The Eastern Iowa Airport in Cedar Rapids will receive $325,782 from the state's commercial service vertical infrastructure program to help fund $3.43 million of renovations to the passenger terminal lobby.

The airport also will get $56,000 from the state's airport improvement program to assist with an $80,000 pavement maintenance project that involves cleaning and sealing cracks and joints.

The Iowa City Municipal Airport was approved for $75,000 to help pay for a $102,000 rehabilitation of the terminal and Building D roofs. The funding will come from the state's general aviation vertical infrastructure program.

The Dubuque Regional Airport will get $107,598 from the commercial service vertical infrastructure program to cover the state's share of the $1.35 million cost of a new terminal building.

The Waterloo Regional Airport will receive $103,234 from the same program to help pay for hangar and snow removal equipment building rehabilitation.

The Vinton Veterans Memorial Airport will receive $150,000 in general aviation vertical infrastructure program funding for a $271,000 hangar construction project.  The airport also will receive $28,305 for a $33,300 rehabilitation of runway pavement.

The Clinton Municipal Airport will get $150,000 from the general aviation vertical infrastructure program to pay for the state's share of a $600,000 transient aircraft hangar construction project. The airport also has been approved for $10,000 from the airport improvement program to pay for a $21,030 rehabilitation of its east ramp.

Iowa's airport improvement program is funded from revenue from aircraft registration and aviation fuel taxes. The vertical infrastructure programs are funded through the Rebuild Iowa Infrastructure Fund.