Peru receives more than $600,000 in funding for airport construction

More than $600,000 in state and federal funding was awarded to the city of Peru to help cover construction costs at the Illinois Valley Regional Airport.

The money will fund the repavement of the T-Hangar area. The estimated cost of the project is $645,000 and the city is expected to contribute $32,250. The rest will be covered by state and federal funding the city applied for during a Transit Improvement Funding meeting, according to City Engineer Eric Carls. The high cost of the project is because of the large amount of area that needs to be repaved.

Carls said the project has to be completed by Oct. 1 of this year to qualify for the funding. Carls said he’s working on getting a plan together in terms of next steps to make the project happen.

Chuck Studer, director of maintenance at the Illinois Valley Regional Airport, said it’s a great project because the ramp is in poor condition. Studer said projects like this are important to keep airport pavement from deteriorating, and it’ll help it last a long time.

Carls also said the pavement area in question is in bad shape and general traffic has caused it to deteriorate significantly. But, he said the funding award is great news for the city and for the airport.

The airport is beginning work on other construction projects. Last week, construction crews began work on the taxiway extension. The taxiway extension is a $2 million safety improvement project funded 95% by the federal government to prevent inbound and outbound air traffic from using the same runway. Private hangar construction also continues, with most of the current work being done on the interior, according to Studer.

More details about the funding for the repavement project and potentially information about next steps will be presented at the next City Council meeting at 7 p.m Monday, Aug. 1, at 1901 Fourth St.