Chadron has officially been awarded about a million dollars in federal infrastructure funds to build a new perimeter fence at the city airport, but still has at least one more hoop to go through to get the long-expected funds.
       The Chadron grant was among 85 totaling nearly a billion dollars announced by the Federal Aviation Administration last Thursday, but City Manager John Sutherland says there’s still paperwork to complete.
In April, the city council awarded a $1.4-million dollar contract for the fence to Fuller Construction of Chadron and Sutherland says Fuller is ready to start as soon as the paperwork is done.
The FAA is picking up 95% of the cost with the city’s share about $89,000.
The new fence will be 8-feet tall and topped by another 2-feet of barbed wire. It’s needed to keep wildlife, primarily deer, off the runway where they pose a major safety to planes on takeoff and landing.
Last summer’s FAA airport grants included over $20-million for Omaha, $2.6-million for Lincoln, $1.4-million for Grand Island, $1-million to North Platte, and $1.1-million to the Western Nebraska Regional Airport in Scottsbluff.