Congresswoman Salinas, Aviation Director Stansbury Hail Federal Funds for Improvements to Aurora State Airport

On Friday, March 17, 2023, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced that the Oregon Department of Aviation would receive a $720,000 grant for improvements to the Aurora State Airport. The grant is being funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which was signed into law by President Biden on November 15, 2021.

“I’m glad that the Aurora State Airport will receive federal support to make much-needed improvements,” said Congresswoman Salinas. “This airport supports more than 1,300 jobs and brings business activity to nearby communities, from Woodburn to Wilsonville. It is also home to a significant amount of air ambulance traffic, allowing for local heroes to conduct fire suppression, emergency transport and recovery efforts, and other important safety missions. I thank the Biden Administration for their support and look forward to seeing these funds put to good use.”

“The Aurora State Airport is the fourth busiest airport in Oregon,” said Betty Stansbury, Director for the Oregon Department of Aviation. “The runway, taxiway and ramp pavements are getting older, and this project will help preserve these pavements that pilots rely on. It will also enhance the safety of those pavements by refreshing fading pavement markings. We are grateful to our Congressional representatives for their help in securing these federal funds.”

Among other things, the funds in this grant will be used to perform sealing and joint filling along more than 42,000 square yards of existing general aviation apron surface and 10,150 linear feet of taxiways and lanes to extend the pavement's useful life.

To learn more about the grant, click here. To learn more about the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s impact on Oregon, click here.

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