Springfield airport to expand tarmac with federal grant

The Springfield-Branson National Airport is planning a tarmac expansion project, largely funded by a federal grant.

A $6.4 million grant would help pay for the project with estimated construction costs of $8.8 million, according to a news release. Airport officials credited recently retired Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Missouri, with securing the funding.

“Airport infrastructure is tremendously expensive,” said Brian Weiler, the airport’s director of aviation, in the release. “The help of our congressional delegation, and Sen. Blunt in particular, has made it possible for us to keep up with growing customer demand for airline service. The better our infrastructure, the better the customer service experience.”

The expansion of the tarmac, also known as the apron, would reduce congestion for planes arriving and departing the terminal. It also would help the airport prepare for a planned expansion of the terminal building, officials say.

A timetable for the tarmac project has not been set, according to the release, but work is expected to start within two or three years.

Last month, the airport's main terminal was renamed the Roy Blunt Terminal in honor of the senator's work in securing funding for improvement projects, according to past Springfield Business Journal reporting.