FORT WORTH -- Alliance Airport received another piece of federal funding for its ongoing runway expansion project, this time a $15.6 million grant.
The airport, located in far north Fort Worth, will use the money to extend one of its runways to 11,000 feet. Alliance is extending both runways, which will allow fully loaded cargo planes to make nonstop flights from Alliance to Europe or Asia.Earlier this year, Alliance was awarded $15.1 million in grants from the Federal Aviation Administration for its runway extension project. So far, Alliance has received $215 million from the FAA, the Texas Department of Transportation and Tarrant County, and secured 80 percent of the funding for the project."It's one of the pieces of infrastructure that's necessary to attract international cargo operators," said Tim Ward, president of the airport. "We're confident that once the runway extension is in place, the other pieces of infrastructure are here, it's just a matter of being competitive to attract those users based on rates and charges and capability."Alliance, which began working on the project in 2000, expects the runway extensions to be completed by 2016 at a cost of about $240 million. So far, the airport has relocated Farm Road 156 and moved dirt for the runway extensions.The airport still needs to build 12 miles of railroad as it moves a rail line to make way for the runway extensions. Work on the rail line will begin in the first quarter of 2013. It will run along the west side of the intermodal rail yard.Andrea Ahles, 817-390-7631Twitter: @Sky_TalkHave more to add? News tip? Tell us
