Athens Municipal Airport Awarded TxDOT Grant

ATHENS — The Texas Transportation Commission, the Texas Department of Transportation’s governing body, awarded Athens Municipal Airport a grant of approximately $140,000 at its regular meeting last week for the installation of an automated weather observation system. A contract for the project is expected to be awarded this spring. Project costs will be funded through TxDOT�s Aviation Facilities Grant Program, which preserves and improves the state�s general aviation system, and the city of Athens.

This year, TxDOT expects to provide approximately $60 million in funding for planning, constructing and maintaining community airports. Approximately 275 community airports in Texas are eligible for funding. Arrivals and departures from community airports account for more than three million flight hours per year and provide aircraft facilities for agricultural, medical, business and commuter use.

Also this week in Henderson County, TxDOT maintenance crews are scheduled to continue pavement repair operations on State Highway 31 Business and State Highway 19 Business in downtown Athens, followed by the same work on SH 19 south of Athens. A second crew is scheduled to perform edge repairs in various locations on Farm Road 315 between Farm Road 279 and SH 31 in Chandler. Daytime lane closures will be in effect in each location while the work is in progress, and motorists are encouraged to be prepared to reduce speed and merge in and around the work zone.