Construct service road; construct taxiway; construct/expand hangar

County of Onslow received a $5.47M Project Grant from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) under the Airport Improvement Program (CFDA 20.106), awarded June 3, 2025, with a completion deadline of June 2, 2029. The project, funded under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) expanded eligibility provisions, will construct three distinct infrastructure improvements at an airport serving Richlands, North Carolina: a new 741-foot service road to provide designated personnel and vehicles with alternate access to airport operations areas in conformance with current standards; a new 145-foot Taxiway B2 to accommodate increased cargo and aircraft operations; and two new 16,560-square-foot sponsor-owned hangars for aircraft storage. These improvements are designed to enhance airport operational efficiency, safety compliance, and revenue generation capacity.

The grant directly supports airport system modernization objectives outlined in the IIJA, which prioritizes infrastructure resilience and economic competitiveness. The constructed service road will establish operational redundancy for personnel access, the taxiway expansion will increase the facility's cargo and based aircraft capacity, and the new hangars will generate revenue to advance the airport's financial self-sustainability. County of Onslow, the parent entity awardee, brings extensive experience managing FAA airport infrastructure grants, having previously received over $11M in AIP funding for related airport development projects.

Activities and expected outcomes

This project constructs 741 feet of a new service road to provide designated personnel and vehicles accessing airport operations areas with an alternate path to bring the airport into conformity with current standards. This project constructs a new 145? Foot taxiway B2 to accommodate more cargo, aircraft operations, and based aircraft. This project constructs two new 16,560 square foot sponsor-owned hangars for aircraft storage to assist the airport to be as self-sustaining as possible by generating revenue. This project is allowable under the infrastructure investment and jobs act's expanded eligibility. Intended beneficiary: this grant will provide federal funding for airports associated with richlands, north carolina.