Several airports in Montana will receive a portion of around $3 billion in federal grant money.
Fort Benton airport in Chouteau County in central Montana will get more than a $1 million in Federal Aviation Administration grant money this year and West Yellowstone Airport in Gallatin County will receive about $400,000.
West Yellowstone Airport runs through the summer and supports the area’s growing number of tourists, which is just shy of 577,000 so far this year.
Airport Manager Jeff Kadlec says the majority of the funds will go toward maintenance of the runway, which wears away due to weather.
“This is going to be a fog-seal with restriping of the runway markings,” he said.
The more than $1 million going to Fort Benton airport will also be directed toward infrastructure. Specifically, the construction of a taxiway and a parking area.
According to a U.S. Department of Transportation press release, Airport Improvement Program grants totalling a little more than $3 billion go to airports throughout the United States this cycle.
