For the City Times

A grant in the amount of $293,760 from the Federal Aviation Administration has been awarded to the South Wood County Airport.

The grant is to fund an update to the airport layout plan and complete design work for planned runway reconstruction at Alexander Field.

Matt Messina, an airport development engineer with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, said updating the airport layout plan is necessary to meet federal standards and for the airport to access federal airport improvement funds.

The project will also design reconstruction of the airport’s deteriorating 3,600 foot crosswind runway.

The total costs of the plan update and design work is $317,994. The remaining balance will be funded with $12,116 from the state and Wisconsin Rapids, Nekoosa, Port Edwards and Grand Rapids will pay a combined $12,117.

The work is expected to be completed by July 2017.