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AMERICUS, GA – Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02) applauded the recent announcement of funds to local and regional airports in Middle and Southwest Georgia made possible by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, more commonly known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Congressman Bishop, a strong advocate for the historic investment in America’s infrastructure, voted to pass the bill last month and it was subsequently signed into law by President Biden on November 15th.

 

“Today, we are seeing how federal legislation can make a difference in communities across our country and across Middle and Southwest Georgia. Our regional airports and local airfields are gateways to the communities they serve, play a crucial role in their economies, and improve access to vital services,” said Congressman Bishop. “Making robust investments in our nation’s infrastructure sets us up for success in the decades to come. We delivered the bipartisan infrastructure bill through Congress last month and today we are seeing the fruits of our labor come home to Georgia.”

 

Altogether, 14 airports throughout Georgia’s Second Congressional District received $4,764,680 through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. These included airports in Albany, Americus, Bainbridge, Blakely, Butler, Cairo, Camilla, Columbus, Cordele, Dawson, Donalsonville, Macon (Middle Georgia Regional and Macon Downtown airports), and Montezuma.

 

“The Jimmy Carter Regional Airport plays a huge role in the economic vitality of Americus and Sumter County, as well as, other surrounding counties,” said Americus Mayor Barry Blount. “I’m positive that the Americus-Sumter Airport Authority will be able to provide additional enhancements and improvements to our airport, which in turn, will pay dividends in our economic development efforts. We are very appreciative of this funding made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.”

 

“We appreciate the 1.1 million dollars awarded to the Southwest Georgia Regional Airport. The funds will improve infrastructure to make the airport a more safe and reliable source of transportation,” said Albany City Manager Steven Carter. “The award also allows us to move long-range projects to the forefront to address immediate needs such as ramp and taxiway improvements. Furthermore, the SWGA Regional Airport is a vital economic driver to the community and the southwest Georgia region. This award will assist us with being competitive in attracting the business aviation community to the area.”

 

Airports receiving awards will receive a similar tranche of funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law each year for the next five years, as part of a program for airport development. The amount could vary from year to year, as the funding reflects annual enplanement totals.

 

In addition to these guaranteed funds, these airports can compete with other airports across the country for grants from an additional $5 billion nationally for terminal and landside improvements.