OGDENSBURG, New York (WWNY) – It should arrive in the nick of time – millions of dollars for airports in St. Lawrence County.
“We’re very excited about it,” said Ogdensburg International Airport manager Stephanie Saracco. “It will extremely helpful for us and positive for us.”
U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer this week detailed the benefits of a $1 trillion bi-partisan infrastructure deal for airports. Ogdensburg airport would get $5.1 million. They have some ideas on how to use it.
“Runway improvements. Any kind of safety or security upgrades that might need to be done. Those are the kind of things this infrastructure package is for. And that’s what we’ll be using it for,” Saracco said.
Airports in Massena and Potsdam would get almost $1.5 million each. Potsdam already has a $3 million taxiway replacement underway. Money made available in the infrastructure bill would make even more possible.
“It’s definitely transformational for the airport,” said Potsdam village administrator Greg Thompson. “Hopefully, we can put that towards the apron and possibly even the expansion of the runway.”
The infrastructure bill also has an unusual feature for airport grants. They can be used for terminal improvements. Massena may do that.
“We’ve been in planning process for the future of our airport. And we have some good ideas going forward and we’ll just have to see how that money would fund some of those projects,” said Town of Massena deputy supervisor Sam Carbone.
Watertown International Airport stands to get five million dollars. Airport manager Grant Sussey says they may be able to get a jump start on improvements that may have been two to three years away from happening.
The infrastructure bill still has to survive an amendment process in the Senate. Then, both houses would have to pass it. President Joe Biden is ready to sign.
The infrastructure bill also has millions of dollars for bridges and ports. But what bridges and what ports would get that money hasn’t been specified yet. Officials hope it will provide money for the Ogdensburg-Prescott international bridge. It needs extensive rehabilitation. An expansion project also begins next year at the Port of Ogdensburg.
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