KALISPELL – Glacier Park International Airport is getting a $2 million boost in funding for improvements for their fast-growing operation.
A $1.5 million grant will go towards rehabilitating the aviation apron and the runway, while the other will be used to update the airport master plan study, to show their current and future needs.
Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) helped secure more than $20 million in US Department of Transportation grant funding for airport improvements throughout the state in hopes the funds will help bring the state’s infrastructure to the 21st century.
GPIA director Rob Ratkowski says the airport is in the early stages of a building and terminal expansion, and are working with specialized airport planning consultants to help ensure the plan will successfully accommodate growing travel for the next 20 years.
"That is kind of the first step in taking a look at a possible building expansion, terminal expansion of some kind, we are early in the process we haven’t identified how much more space we will need and we are starting that planning process," Ratkowski explained.
Ratkowski also told MTN News that he expects significant construction at the airport in the next three to four years.
