ST. CROIX — The U.S. Department of Transportation has announced a grant award of over $2 million to the Henry E. Rholsen Airport to be used for improvements and repairs. The Transportation department has made multiple grants to the Virgin Islands Port Authority for enhancements. However, before receiving the funding, V.I.P.A. must meet certain conditions set forth by the Transportation department.
The latest grant will be used for continued work on the airport’s apron, which has gone through various phases of rehabilitation. In April 2015, Damian Cartwright, then a senior engineer at V.I.P.A. (Mr. Cartwright is now V.I.P.A.’s assistant executive director), revealed to The Consortium that V.I.P.A. had received a $4.9 million airport improvement grant from the Department of Transportation.
In a release issued Friday announcing the grant, Delegate to Congress Stacey Plaskett said the funds will facilitate continued improvements at the airport.
“I am proud to announce that the Henry E. Rohlsen Airport on St. Croix will receive an important Rehabilitate Apron Grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation. The Department announced that the Virgin Islands Port Authority would receive a $2,270,311.00 award. The airport apron is the area where aircraft are parked, unloaded or loaded, refueled, or boarded. This grant will fund the rehabilitation of 13,444 square yards of the existing apron to maintain the structural integrity of the pavement at this important airport,” she said.
“This grant is significant to the residents of the U.S. Virgin Islands and St. Croix because it allows the USVI Port Authority to address the existing challenges of the Rohlsen Airport as well as supporting our argument to the airline industry of the viability and commercial attraction of St. Croix as an aviation hub,” Ms. Plaskett concluded.
Tags: federal funds, funding, henry e rholsen airport
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