The Springfield Airport Authority received more than $11 million dollars in federal funding to improve one of two crosswind runways that intersect with their own primary runway at Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport.
Mark Hanna, executive director of the Springfield Airport Authority, said this type of runway provides a safe alternative for planes to land.
“When winds change, when fronts come through and weather changes, we provide a 90 degree landing direction,” he said.
The nearly 30-year-old Runway 13-31 crosses a primary lane in a southeast to northwest direction. It measures 7,400-feet long by 150-feet wide and is long overdue for a revamp, Hanna said.
The $11,839,322 award will help pay for the first phase of the work that includes paving, lighting, drainage, airfield signage and markings, according to a written statement.
Work is scheduled to begin in early 2027 and conclude by the fall. Hanna said airport operations won’t be impacted by the construction.
“It’s a critical piece of community transportation infrastructure that once this project is completed, we should have another useful life for another two and a half, three decades,” he said.
In the written announcement, Hanna thanked the Federal Aviation Administration, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, D-Illinois, and state Rep. Nikki Budzinski, D-Springfield, for their support of the grant.
Altogether, the FAA awarded the state $66,345,494 dollars in funding for infrastructure improvements in airports across Illinois.
“This investment will help grow, modernize and expand our airports across the state,” Duckworth said. “Together, we will keep working alongside our local leaders to advocate for federal funding that will make our skies safer, make traveling easier and support economic development across Illinois.”
