Washington, D.C. – Congressman Pete Visclosky today announced that Gary Chicago International Airport (GCA) will receive $1,030,000 from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that was authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

“I have long recognized the Gary Airport’s potential to create economic opportunities in Northwest Indiana,” said Visclosky. “I am glad that the Department of Transportation and the FAA share that view and have decided to include the airport in our economic recovery efforts. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was designed to invest in the infrastructure we need for a new era of economic growth and this grant will help accomplish that goal in Northwest Indiana.”

The FAA allocated America Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds on a discretionary basis, assessing projects based on a system that addressed airport safety and security, infrastructure, runway safety, increased capacity, and mitigation of environmental impacts. GCA’s funds are intended for runway rehabilitation.

Visclosky has long been an advocate for GCA, working with local officials to best utilize the facility. He helped the airport secure its 2006 Letter of Intent, which provides $57.8 million over 10 years, available in installments of up to $6 million per year, for improvements and expansion that will help GCA stake its claim as the third major airport in the region. The planned expansion would increase the size of the airport by roughly 50 percent and extend the main runway to a length of 9,000 feet. Additionally, Visclosky directed $14.6 million to the airport for apron expansion, runway overlay, safety modernization, and various other improvements, and $24.9 million for the Indiana National Guard Readiness Center at the airport.

Source: Inside INdiana Business