U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao announced the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will award $770.8 million in airport infrastructure grants, the third allotment of the total $3.18 billion in Airport Improvement Program (AIP) funding.

The grants were formally announced earlier this month and include three awards totaling $775,000 for the Oakdale Municipal Airport. The grants are as follows: $350,000 for runway repairs; $334,648 for installing perimeter fencing; $90,000 for taxiway repairs.

“These Airport Improvement Grants are investments in our country’s critical infrastructure,” said Secretary Chao. “This grant is a down payment to ensure Oakdale Airport remains an economic engine as demand grows.”

AIP grants fund infrastructure projects that include runways, taxiways, aprons, and terminal projects. These projects are important to the safety and efficiency of the nation’s system of airports.

Airports receive a certain amount of AIP entitlement funding each year based on activity levels and project needs. If their capital project needs exceed their available entitlement funds, the FAA can supplement their entitlements with discretionary funding.