WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Barbara A. Mikulski, and U.S. Congressmen Dutch Ruppersberger and John Sarbanes (all D-MD) today announced a $12 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DoT) to improve runway safety and upgrade runways at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. 

The $12 million grant will be used for the first phase of improvements to bring Runway 10-28 up to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) safety standards, including a rehabilitation of the pavement, an expansion of the shoulder, improved grading and new signage. The project is part of a multi-year, $350 million effort to bring all of BWI Marshall’s runways into compliance with federal safety standards by 2015.  This phase of the project is expected to cost $40.3 million and support more than 500 jobs.

“This grant ensures that BWI Marshall continues to be a safe, dependable, and efficient hub for domestic and international travel,” said Senator Cardin.  “BWI Marshall is an economic center for our region, bringing about $5.9 billion in revenue a year to our state.  This rehabilitation project will mean good jobs for Marylanders and will improve BWI’s overall growth potential.”

“This grant is about jobs today and jobs tomorrow,” Senator Mikulski said. “It creates jobs today in construction by funding the renovation and upgrading of BWI’s runways. And it helps create jobs tomorrow by making sure BWI remains a safe, efficient travel center and economic engine for Maryland.”

“BWI is one of Maryland’s most vital economic engines, supporting nearly 100,000 jobs each year,” Congressman Ruppersberger said. “This project is about investing in our state’s future and preserving those jobs for years to come. Renovating the airport’s main arteries – its runways – will also create safer working conditions for flight and ground crews as well as passengers.”

“This federal grant makes a critical investment in Maryland’s biggest and busiest airport,” said Congressman Sarbanes. “These renovations will not only make BWI safer for the thousands of travelers who pass through each day, but they will also create high-quality employment opportunities for Marylanders who are eager to get back to work.”

The Maryland Aviation Administration (MAA) will oversee construction, which is scheduled to begin in August and be completed by September.