On the heels of recently completing maintenance to its runway in May, the Lake Charles Regional Airport on Tuesday received a $1.8 million federal grant to go toward taxiway and apron pavement improvements.

Heath Allen, executive director, said the grant will allow the airport to be “ahead of the curve” in terms of upkeep of paved surfaces.

The project will cost more than $2 million with the state funding 10 percent of the federal grant, Allen said.

Allen said that receiving the grant was not a surprise but news he was pleased to hear.

“We hope to continue to grow,” Allen said.

Funding will go toward the construction of taxiway pavement and joint rehabilitation; rehabilitation of the apron in order to maintain structural integrity of the pavement; and construction of apron pavement and joint rehabilitation, reads the grant issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation through the Federal Aviation Administration.

The existing pavement requires rehabilitation to ensure safe airfield operations, according to the grant.

Maintenance on the concrete is a “continuous cycle,” but Allen predicts that recent efforts will hold up for more than a decade.

Charles Boustany Jr., R-Lafayette, announced the grant Tuesday in a news release.

“With so much international investment pouring into the region, I’m proud the Lake Charles Regional Airport continues to value infrastructure needs in order to keep the airport operating at peak condition,” Boustany said in the news release. “Locals and visitors alike will see the top notch facilities Southwest Louisiana has to offer.”

Allen said construction on the 300-day project is expected to start in Fall 2013.

Online: http://grants.ost.dot.gov/public/ViewMessage.cfm?MsgID=n99ppxuuwr

On the heels of recently completing maintenance to its runway in May