MARANA – Town of Marana has been selected by the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) to receive three grants through the Airport Development Grants Program. ADOT will contribute 90% of the funds, with the Town being responsible for a 10% match.
The projects include:
Electrical Vault Switch Gear Replacement ($50,000) - Switchgear is composed of electrical disconnect switches, fuses or circuit breakers used to control, protect and isolate electrical equipment. Switchgear is used both to de-energize equipment to allow work to be done and to clear faults downstream. This type of equipment is directly linked to the reliability of the electricity supply.
Replace MIRLs, Beacon and PAPIs (Design) ($175,000) - This grant will fund the design of new LED Medium Intensity Runway Lights (MIRL) for both runways, a new rotating beacon tower, and upgrade to new LED Precision Approach Path Indicator (PAPI) equipment both runways. All current runway lighting, beacon light, and PAPIs are 20+ years old and have reached the end of their useful life.
Runway 30 Safety Area Improvement Study ($150,000) - This grant will fund a mitigation study to determine how to best address the inadequate Runway 30 safety area. The end of the runway is too close to Avra Valley Road and the fence line which has to be addressed in the near future. This study will examine all possible solutions to determine the most cost effective and operationally acceptable approach.
These funds were made possible by an additional appropriation of the Arizona Legislature and Governor Doug Ducey. The Town of Marana appreciates the work of the Governor, the Arizona Legislature, and particularly that of its local delegation, Senator Vince Leach, Representative Mark Finchem, and Representative Bret Roberts, and that of the appropriation’s top supporters, Representative Arlando Teller of District 7 and Representative Noel Campbell of District 1, all of which was critical in securing these additional resources for aviation in our state.
History of the grant program
The Arizona Legislature appropriates money to be distributed to airports throughout the state. These funds are administered by ADOT through the Airport Development Grants Program, and help airports maintain safety standards and move their operations forward into the 21st century. Each year, municipalities that own airports submit their own Five-Year Airport Capital Improvements Program (ACIP) with a list of projects for their airports. These plans are reviewed by ADOT for priority spending in light of available funding.
In the 2019 legislative session, the Legislature initially considered legislation to restore $60 million to the state aviation fund, but ultimately through the state budget process they successfully approved an increase of $10 million. This action allowed additional airports, including the Marana Regional Airport, to have their ACIP projects considered. The Marana Regional Airport’s projects were at the top of the list for this second round of funding, as all of its requests were tied to increased safety at the airport. The Town is grateful for the restoration of funds and increased interest and support for the aviation industry in our state.
Marana Regional Airport
Marana serves a diverse user base at its airport, including military, corporate, and private use customers. Each of these safety-focused projects comes on the heels of a $6 million improvement project at the Airport, reconstructing its taxiways and ramps and installing brand new pavement. These additional projects will help the Marana Regional Airport continue to provide safe and reliable air service to our civilian and military users, and ensure the public have a great aviation destination in Marana for years to come.
