March Air Reserve Base To Receive Almost $3M For Improvements

MORENO VALLEY, CA – March Air Reserve Base in Moreno Valley is slated to receive $2.76 million in federal funds to rebuild a taxiway, it was announced Thursday.

The Federal Aviation Administration said March was among several hundred entities awarded grants totaling $771 million under the Department of Transportation's Airport Improvement Program.

"These grants are investments in our country's critical infrastructure," DOT Secretary Elaine Chao said. "This grant is a down payment to ensure March Air Reserve Base remains an economic engine as demand grows."

The AIP grants generally are reserved for projects that involve upgrading, modifying or constructing airport aprons, runways, taxiways and terminals. the FAA said.

Grant amounts are determined based on activity levels and needs at each airfield, according to the agency.
The taxiways and tarmac at March are cracked and showing signs of fatigue from years of use by heavy aircraft, including U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemasters and KC-135 air-to-air refueling tankers.

The base is under a joint powers authority that gives civilian stakeholders, including representatives from the cities of Moreno Valley and Riverside, an opportunity to have a say in how it's run.

The Riverside County Board of Supervisors is also a member of the JPA, and each year the board names among its leading legislative priorities the preservation and enhancement of March.

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