Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) secured over $23.5 million for infrastructure developments at three airports in Wisconsin, including the Dane County Regional Airport in Madison, according to a press release.
Along with MSN, the Appleton International Airport and Rhinelander-Oneida Airport will be receiving millions of dollars to upgrade their terminals, taxiways and runways. In addition, $1,768,500 has been awarded to the Wisconsin State Block Grant Program to obtain land for approaches and to upgrade safety, according to the press release.
The money to support these airports was obtained through the Baldwin-backed annual government funding bill for the 2023 fiscal year, according to the press release. The Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Improvement Program is also offering funding for the strategic planning and advancement of public-access airports, along with enhancements aimed at bolstering airport safety, capacity, security and addressing environmental issues.
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“When we invest in our airports, we are investing in the people who rely on these facilities to do business, visit loved ones, and participate fully in our economy,” Sen. Baldwin said in the press release.
Each airport was granted part of the $23 million through AIP, with ATW receiving $8,129,416, MSN receiving $6,605,910 and Rhinelander-Oneida County receiving $7,074,515. These airports are in smaller regions of Wisconsin and do not have the large infrastructure of other Wisconsin airports such as the Milwaukee airport, according to the press release.
This aid in expanding infrastructure, which includes MSN, a major airport used by students at the University of Wisconsin, will allow the airport to further focus on improving student’s individual and family travel experiences. It will also aid those from all over the world who come to Madison for other reasons, according to Director of Marketing and Communications at Dane County Regional Airport Michael Riechers.
“Students at UW are going to benefit from a healthy and robust airport,” Richers said. “The university body is one of the many groups within the Dane County region that we try to make the airport available to. Particularly out of state students that have to fly in and out for various holidays throughout the school year, or have family flying in and out to come and visit them, DCR airport stands ready to receive those family members and the students.”
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The majority of this funding will be used to rehabilitate Wisconsin airport services during the year, particularly due to weather conditions. These airports require more maintenance compared to airports in regions with milder weather conditions — requiring more funding to support such maintenance, according to Riechers.
This project helps airports in these conditions not only improve service but also maintain a safe and workable airport surface for all passengers, Riechers said.
“Airports particularly in northern climates face really harsh conditions,” Riechers said. “With our winters and for as often as we get snow, that means our plows are running across the runway services and taxi service much more than, say, the same runway services in a more temperate climate would see.”
MSN will directly use this funding to improve and maintain taxiways and runways that keep the airport running safely and efficiently. The AIP funding will go specifically toward rehabbing a specific taxiway at MSN called the “holding bay,” which enables efficient use of the airport’s service, Riechers said.
ATW intends to use the funding to bolster physical infrastructure, thereby augmenting its already substantial annual economic impact of more than $40,000,000 annually, according to the press release.
The Rhinelander-Oneida County Airport will utilize the funding to improve its approximately 45-year-old runways and taxiways, according to Airport Director at Rhinelander-Oneida County Airport Matthew Leitner. While their infrastructure is already in fairly good condition, Leitner pointed out that in the coming decade these conditions will decline, thus making the federal funding vital to the airport.
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“Nothing was unsafe or unserviceable,” Leitner said. “However, there are gonna be some small repairs and panel replacement, joint sealing and stuff of that nature. Overall, it was good, but this [federal funding] is going to bring it to excellent, which at this juncture is desperately needed because if we were to not address it for another, say 10 or 15 years, it would probably deteriorate to a condition that would be not suitable for use.”
With an upgrade to these airports, it will be hard to know whether or not this project will increase air travel until the changes have been made, according to Senior Researcher at the State Smart Transportation Initiative Michael Brenneis. The need for increased transportation to and from airports will depend on the effects of this project.
In terms of public transit to and from the airports, funding to improve those transportation services is determined at the county and state level, Brenneis said.
As a whole, the federal funding allocated to these three airports and the SGBP is intended to upgrade infrastructure to terminal buildings, taxiways and runways to enhance safety, expand capacity and generate employment opportunities across the state, according to the press release.
“An investment of any type into airports is great for the local community, it’s great for the economy — so, any investment going toward Wisconsin airports is great for the Wisconsin community and for the Wisconsin people,” Riechers said.
