Airport to receive money for runway expansion

The Clovis Municipal Airport will receive $4 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation for runway extension construction, according to a release from U.S. Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M.

The runway expansion will be funded from the $4 million appropriation and $2.5 million from the state. Airport Director Steve Summers said the city will provide a match of 2.5 percent of the monies.

The project has been four years in the making.

“We did an airport action plan in 2006 that showed, based on the type and number of small jet traffic we had, it justified an expansion,” Summer said.

Since then, the airport has been working to expand the runway to 7,200 feet in order to allow for regional jet service.

“With the expansion of Cannon Air Force Base and the growth of the Clovis community, the airport has struggled to keep up with increased traffic and activity. This funding will allow for a runway extension that will increase access to Clovis and eastern New Mexico,” said Udall, a member of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.

Summers said the project will go out to bid in July, with hopes to award the contract by the end of August.

Construction would end sometime in the spring of next year, depending on how weather impacts construction.

After completion of the runway extension, Clovis Municipal Airport officials say they will explore the possibility of adding a regional connecting flight between Clovis and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.