Stimulus funding at airport gets jobs ready for take-off
Thursday, April 16th, 2009
By: Tom MacDonald
tmacdonald@whyy.org
Airports throughout Pennsylvania are benefiting from federal stimulus money. The announcement Wednesday unlocks money for the region.
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Five million dollars of federal stimulus funding will be dedicated to resurfacing the runway at Philadelphia International Airport. U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood says the money will create jobs to do the construction work.
Lahood: Our part at transportation is to get people to work at good paying jobs.
Mayor Michael Nutter says this is one of the so-called shovel ready projects talked about during debate on the stimulus plan.
Nutter: What it's going to mean is we are embarking on the repaving and improving the infrastructure of the longest runway at Philadelphia International Airport. Close to 300 jobs are being created just by this project.
Nutter says with the money now available the bid process is now underway.
Northeast Philadelphia Airport is also receiving $1 million for taxiway improvements.