[StBernard] Baker announces $4.6 million grant for BR airport

[Westley Annis]

The News from Congressman Richard H. Baker
Sixth District, Louisiana
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 22, 2007
CONTACT: Michael DiResto, 225-929-7711

Baker announces $4.6 million grant for BR airport

WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. Richard Baker, R-Baton Rouge, joined the U.S. Department of Transportation today to announce that the Baton Rouge Metropolitan airport (BTR) will receive a federal grant of $4,599,212 to improve the runway safety area near Blount Road.

The $4.6 million will be used for land acquisition and rights of way at Blount Road and to begin construction on runway safety area improvements, runway lighting rehabilitation, and security enhancements.

The Baton Rouge airport has been working closely with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on several key airport development and aviation service enhancement projects, including the Blount Road project.

Prompted by the January 2006 incident of Southwest Airlines flight 1248 and the November 1999 crash of American Airlines flight 1420, both of which resulted in fatalities, the FAA directed airports to establish safety areas to accommodate aircraft that might overshoot a runway and expose passengers to possible harm. Safety areas are designed to buffer both passengers and nearby residents from the risk of crashes.

Baker, a senior member of the House Transportation committee, has been a longtime advocate and supporter of the airport's master plan, for which he has sought and secured multiple appropriations totaling in the tens of millions of dollars. He has also supported the airport's grant requests for infrastructure projects like terminal development, noise mitigation, and runway, taxiway and apron improvements. Baker pushed BTR’s case with the FAA on the safety area funding and to make sure sufficient funding is provided in FAA reauthorization and appropriations bills to ensure that the FAA has the required resources for commitments like Blount Road.

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