Sep. 28—GREENSBURG — Greensburg Municipal Airport Runway 19 is officially open for business.
City officials, Greensburg Aviation Board members, contractors, and partners on the project gathered on the new runway Saturday morning to officially open the runway for business, a project that has been in development since 2001 under then Mayor Gary Bailey.
Over the next two decades and five mayoral administrations, the Greensburg Aviation Board worked with engineering firm Butler, Fairman & Seufer, Inc. to expand upon the current infrastructure of the Greensburg Municipal Airport in order to allow business class aircraft to land in Greensburg.
Construction of the new runway began in 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, 11 Indiana aviation construction projects were defunded by the federal government, but two, including the Greensburg Municipal Airport, were re-funded due to the support of Indiana congressional members and local government leaders. Not only was this project funded, but federal funding was increased. This increase in funding brought the community share to less than 5%.
"The completion of the expanded runway will connect Greensburg like never before," Greensburg Mayor Joshua Marsh said. "This marks the final piece in our local 'Planes, Trains and Automobiles' network. Our Economic Development Corporation responds to requests for information from corporations and businesses alike, asking what our proximity is to a business class airport. Now, we can check that box off."
Marsh thanked all former and current Greensburg Aviation Board members, former mayors Gary Bailey, Frank Manus, Gary Herbert and Dan Manus, and all partners on the project saying, "This expansion will welcome visitors and travelers for years to come. There is a tremendous untapped potential that has landed in our backyard."
Overall, the total project cost was $14.3 million. Of that, $13.4 million was funded through the Federal Aviation Administration, $444,500 was funded through the State of Indiana, and the remaining $444,500 was funded locally.
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