Governor Scott Walker has approved a $9 million worth of improvements to Central Wisconsin Airport near Mosinee.
His action releases $500,000 in state funds to help complete the project. Marathon and Portage counties are contributing a total of $2 million and the Federal Aviation Administration will contribute $6.5 million.
Airport manager Tony Yaron tells NewsChannel 7 they'll add on to the west terminal, where you buy tickets and go through security. Business will continue in the existing terminal while the addition is put on. Then it will be moved to the addition while the old part is renovated. It should take about a year to complete the project.
Yaron says airport ridership has been flat, but at all airports, not just CWay. He blames it on a change in airline business models and the economy.
Yaron says the expansion will make the airport bigger, more rider friendly and profitable; but less costly to run after improvements to electric, heating and cooling infrastructure.
It's part of a 5-year expansion plan at the airport which includes more parking and new offices for car rental companies, projects that are already complete.
Down the road, Yaron says they'll work to add more gates.
The Merrill Municipal Airport is also been awarded funding from the state and the Federal Aviation Administration. Governor Walker say the airport will received $1,387,542 for the second phase of taxiway construction.
The state will contribute nearly $60,000, the FAA will contribute $1.2 million and the City of Merrill will add nearly $60,000.
The project will continue work started last year on the parallel taxiway to the airport’s primary runway. The second phase includes the paving, lighting and utility work of the project. Construction is underway and is expected to be completed by June 2013.
