Mikulski, Cardin, Sarbanes Announce More Than $11 Million in Federal Grant Funding for BWI Improvements

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Barbara A. Mikulski and Ben Cardin along with Congressman John Sarbanes (all D-Md.) today announced the Maryland Department of Transportation (DoT) and Maryland Aviation Administration have been awarded a $11,034,038 grant from the U.S. DoT for runway safety enhancements and upgrades at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport.

"This is a smart investment in jobs today and jobs tomorrow," said Senator Mikulski, Chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee which funds DOT. "It supports jobs today in construction by making needed improvements to BWI's runway infrastructure. And it helps support jobs tomorrow by making sure BWI remains a safe, efficient travel center and an economic engine for Maryland."

"Continued federal investment in BWI Marshall reflects our commitment to maintaining safety in the air and on the ground, as well as to the health of Maryland's economy," said Senator Cardin, a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee. "BWI Marshall is an economic hub for our region. This project means good jobs for Marylanders and will improve BWI's overall growth potential."

"This federal grant is a tremendous investment in improving Maryland's biggest and busiest airport," saidCongressman Sarbanes. "These renovations will not only make BWI safer for the thousands of travelers who pass through it each day, but they will also create high-quality employment opportunities for Marylanders who are eager to go to work."

Federal grant funding awarded through the Airport Improvement Program will be used for the second phase of improvements to bring Runway 15R-33L up to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) safety standards, including a three foot runway shift, new 35 feet runway shoulders for the length of the runway, modifications to the runway/taxiway intersections, lighting and lighting infrastructure improvements, utility relocation and reconfigurations, and runway pavement sensors. The project is part of a multi-year, $350 million effort to bring all of BWI Marshall's runways into compliance with federal safety standards by 2015.