Community Corner

Trenton-Mercer Airport To Get Nearly $3.5M In Federal Funding

The funding is part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and will be used to update runways and taxiways, improve safety and more.

MERCER COUNTY, NJ — The Trenton-Mercer Airport will receive $3,482,989 in new federal funding, Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12) announced Friday.

The funding is from the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and will be used to update runways and taxiways, improve safety and sustainability, or invest in terminals, airport-transit connections, and roadway projects.

“Thanks to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, this nearly $3.5 million grant will deliver new, good-paying jobs for New Jerseyans while making sorely needed renovations to Trenton-Mercer Airport,” Watson Coleman said in a statement. “By modernizing the airport’s infrastructure and prioritizing safety, we will ensure that all travelers flying in and out of Trenton have a better experience from terminal to tarmac.”

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The Airport will receive a similar portion of funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law each year for the next five years, as part of a program for airport development.

The amount could vary from year to year, as the funding reflects annual enplanement totals, officials said. In addition to the funds, Trenton-Mercer can compete with other airports across the country for grants from an additional $5 billion nationally for terminal and landside improvements.

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“I thank Congresswoman Watson Coleman and the Biden Administration for recognizing the importance of air transportation to the Trenton region and the associated challenges inherent in providing for Trenton-Mercer Airport’s unique operating and improvement needs,” Mercer County Executive Brian M. Hughes said in a statement.

“The cost of maintaining an adequate airport is an investment that yields benefits to the region and the state, and this renewable grant will help us attain the goal of putting in place a long-term 21st century solution for Trenton-Mercer Airport.”

President Joe Biden signed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act on Nov. 15, which included $15 billion in funding to help redevelop airports across the country. Projects that qualify for funding include improvements to runways and taxiways, terminal development, and noise prevention.

It also includes an additional $5 billion nationally for FAA towers and facilities funding, which the FAA will distribute among airports in need.

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