Airport receives $8.4m in grants

The Southwest Wyoming Regional Airport has received nearly half of the funding needed to complete its modernization of the commercial terminal.

Devon Brubaker, general manager of the airport said $8.4 million was awarded through grants from the Federal Aviation Administration, Wyoming Business Council and the Wyoming Department of Transportation.

The largest amount, $4.9 million, was awarded by the FAA, while another $3 million came from the WBC and an additional $500,000 was granted by WYDOT.

"The award of these grants is a testament to the importance of this project to Southwest Wyoming's economic future; recognized by the Airport Board, Sweetwater County Commission, the City of Rock Springs, and the granting entities," Brubaker said in a press release. "Since 2018, all of these partners have worked together to plan for and develop a project that will support the region well beyond this decade. As the airport rebounds from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on global air travel, the timing couldn't be better to invest in our local economy."

The project is estimated to cost $19.51 million and will be the latest in a series of improvements initiated by Brubaker and the board of trustees overseeing the airport. In 2018, a $5.8 million renovation to the airport's general aviation was completed, which modernized many aspects of the building.

The project will result in the overall size of the terminal being doubled in size from the current 17,000 square-foot footprint.

The project also aims to improve passenger comfort and amenities, while drastically modernizing and improving services offered in the building.

Construction is expected to being next month and continue through the end of 2022.

The airport anticipates another 9.8 million from the FAA and WYDOT to fund the project. The airport also plans to make additional project information and renderings available to the public in the coming weeks.