POSTED: September 22, 2021
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Colleen Gerrity, 570-341-1050
On August 27th, U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright (PA-08) announced that the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport received $1,656,717 from the U.S. Department of Transportation to extend its taxiway.
With this added discretionary funding secured, the Airport’s first phase of construction on its Taxiway B Extension project can begin. This project, when finished, will add the last bit of length to provide a full-length parallel taxiway to the Airport’s main runway. This first phase of construction will be the site preparation for NAVAIDs being relocated by the extension and will develop a new access road for the Air Traffic Control Tower so that the existing access can be used as a haul route for the Taxiway extension fills in the next phase of construction.
“AVP is a key driver of business and tourism in Northeastern Pennsylvania, and when they can grow, so can our area’s economy,” said Rep. Cartwright, a member of the House Appropriations Committee. “I fully support AVP’s efforts to expand its capacity to serve more passengers, especially as we continue to rebuild our economy.”
“We are excited to learn of a federal grant for $1,656,717 from the U.S. Department of Transportation to extend our taxiway,” noted Carl R. Beardsley, Jr., Executive Director, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport. “This support enables AVP to continue building for future airport expansions and we are very grateful for the wonderful support that Congressman Cartwright and all of our elected leaders have demonstrated toward our efforts to expand our taxiways for the travelers of Northeastern Pennsylvania.
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport is the only mid-sized airport in the region and it has served as a gateway to Northeastern Pennsylvania for more than 70 years.
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Congressman Matt Cartwright is a member of House Democratic Leadership as a co-chair of the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee (DPCC). He is a member of the House Committee on Appropriations, where he serves as Chair of the Commerce-Justice-Science Subcommittee, Vice Chair of the Financial Services & General Government Subcommittee, and a member of the Interior & Environment Subcommittee. Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District includes Lackawanna, Wayne, and Pike Counties and portions of Luzerne and Monroe Counties.