Watsonville Municipal Airport will receive more than $115,000 in federal funding to upgrade runway markings, U.S. Sens. Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff announced Wednesday.
The $115,058 grant will pay for new markings on Runway 2/20 to bring the airport into compliance with current standards.
The funding is part of nearly $109 million in Federal Aviation Administration grants awarded to 51 airports across California through the agency’s Airport Improvement Program.
The program supports airport infrastructure projects including runway and taxiway rehabilitation, safety improvements, lighting upgrades, terminal construction and noise mitigation.
“California’s airports are critical to the millions of travelers, workers, and goods that keep our economy moving,” Padilla said in a statement. “Investing in this infrastructure means safer runways, shorter delays, and airports built to handle the demands of our growing state.”
Watsonville Municipal Airport, owned and operated by the city of Watsonville, is a general aviation airport serving the Pajaro Valley and surrounding region.
The Watsonville grant is among several awarded to Central Coast airports. Monterey Regional Airport will receive $2.37 million toward construction of a new 66,500-square-foot terminal, while Hollister Municipal Airport will receive $794,087 for design work to reconstruct 9,200 feet of Taxiway A.
“From upgrading runways and taxiways to reducing airport noise and improving passenger facilities, these investments will make airports across California safer and more reliable,” Schiff said in a statement.
The latest grants follow $107 million in federal funding announced last month for 16 California airports.
Last year, Padilla and Schiff announced $168.85 million for 46 California airports through a separate airport infrastructure grant program funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Another 72 airports received a combined $158.4 million for upgrades.
