WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Barbara A. Mikulski (both D-MD) today announced that Wicomico County has received a $1,300,899 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DoT) for the Salisbury-Ocean City Wicomico Regional Airport. This is the first of a two part, multi-year grant designed to update and replace aging parts of two separate runways.
“This grant is a commonsense investment in safety, and reflects my commitment to renovating and upgrading transportation centers in our state,” said Senator Cardin, a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee. “Wicomico Country residents dependent on the smooth and safe functioning of the Salisbury-Ocean City Wicomico Regional Airport, and I am committed to ensuring our communities have the resources that are needed to upgrade transportation infrastructure.”
“Our regional airports play a key role in maintaining our robust economy,” Senator Mikulski said. “These federal dollars will help ensure that the Salisbury-Ocean City Wicomico Regional Airport can continue to operate safely and efficiently, and keep Marylanders on the go.”
This grant will be used to renovate existing parts of runway “Echo,” which was originally constructed by the U.S. Navy in 1943. Currently, sections of the runway are passable, but use has been restricted to private charters. The grant will also be used to upgrade the surface of runway “Bravo.” It is estimated that the multi-year runway improvement project will cost $2.8 million. Wicomico County and the Maryland Aviation Administration will contribute 10 percent of the funding through passenger fees.