The Southwest Wyoming Regional Airport has been awarded over US$8.4 million for the financing of its terminal modernization project. Funding has been provided by the Wyoming Business Council (WBC) who provided US$3 million, the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) who provided US$500,000, and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) who provided US$4.9 million. The three grants were recently approved by the airport’s governing body, the Rock Springs-Sweetwater County Airport Board, and represent the first installment of grant funds towards the US$19.51 million project. Construction is scheduled to begin within the following month and is slated to be complete by the end of 2022.
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The airport will remain open throughout construction with the airport and its construction team working on detailed phasing planes to ensure minimal impacts to the traveling public. The team consists of Mead & Hunt, Sletten Construction, and T-O Engineers. The Commercial Terminal Modernization Project will include the expansion and renovation of the existing commercial airline terminal. Ultimately, the terminal will double in size from its current 17,000 square-foot footprint. Additional grant funding totaling more than $9.8 million is anticipated from both the FAA and WYDOT throughout the project with the next grant awards expected as early as July of 2021.
“The award of these grants is a testament to the importance of this project to Southwest Wyoming’s economic future. Partners on the airport board of the sweetwater county commission of Rock Springs have worked together to plan for and develop a project that will support the region well beyond this decade. As the airport rebounds from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on global air travel, the timing couldn’t be better to invest in our local economy.” said the airport director, Devon Brubaker.
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