BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — A multi-million dollar modernization package has been approved and will be distributed to over a dozen airports across California — including two in Kern County.
According to a joint press release by Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff’s offices, of the $109 million in the package, $226,000 will be allocated to the Bakersfield Municipal Airport to fund a new automated weather observing system.
Additionally, about $1.24 million will be distributed to the Tehachapi Municipal Airport, funding the reconstruction of 1,200 feet of taxilane pavement.
The $109 million package will come from grants from the Federal Aviation Administration to help modernize airport infrastructure, airport safety projects and other upgrades across the state’s airports.
The project includes taxi rehabilitations, terminal construction and lighting upgrades.
“From upgrading runways and taxiways to reducing airport noise and improving passenger facilities, these investments will make airports across California safer and more reliable,” Schiff said in a statement on Friday. “I’m proud to help deliver federal funding that will strengthen our transportation infrastructure, create economic opportunities and better serve communities across the Golden State.”
In the statement, Padilla said California’s airports are critical for millions of travelers and help keep the state’s economy moving.
“Investing in this infrastructure means safer runways, shorter delays and airports built to handle the demands of our growing state,” Padilla said. “When we modernize our airports, we’re investing directly in jobs, in tourism and in California’s competitiveness for decades to come.”