WASHINGTON — Nine small Maine airports have been awarded about $2.3 million in federal grants to make improvements and buy new equipment, Maine lawmakers announced today.

The Federal Aviation Administration grants include $650,000 for the town of Bar Harbor, money that will help buy snow removal equipment and runway markers for Hancock County-Bar Harbor Airport, according to Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, and Rep. Mike Michaud, D-2nd.

A $461,600 grant to Knox County will also buy snow removal equipment and help pay for runway repairs at Knox County Regional Airport. Another of the grants is for $451,500 to the city of Bangor, money for an apron renovation at Bangor International Airport.

The other awards:

— $268,500 to the city of Caribou to help remove potential runway obstructions at Caribou Municipal Airport.

— $179,200 to help update the master plan for future needs at the Machias Valley Airport.

— $81,100 to help pay for the design of a runway rehabilitation at Lincoln Regional Airport.

— $80,800 to help renovate the runway at Old Town Municipal Airport.

— $67,400 to the town of Norridgewock to help pay for fencing and remove obstructions from the Central Maine Airport.

— $43,700 to the town of Carrabassett to help pay for runway improvements at Sugarloaf Regional Airport.

“These investments are welcome news and will allow these airports to move forward with improvements that will increase safety,” said Michaud, a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, in a statement.

“Maine’s aviation infrastructure keeps its residents connected with the rest of the country and the world,” Snowe and Collins said in a joint statement. “These FAA grants will help these small airports make the necessary upgrades and developments to improve their air travel services and safety.”
 
Washington Bureau Chief Jonathan Riskind can be contacted at 791-6280 or at: jriskind@mainetoday.com