Lehigh Valley International Airport is receiving $1,637,500 in state funding to support expanding facilities for air cargo and other aviation.
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation announced the investment Wednesday. It’s among $10 million awarded for 10 projects at public-use airports statewide and comes from the state Capital Budget through the Aviation Transportation Assistance Program, which is supported through borrowing.
Gov. Josh Shapiro with U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and U.S. Rep. Susan Wild visited the airport outside Allentown a week ago to celebrate the opening of a new, expanded passenger terminal and security checkpoint backed by $13 million from the state.
“Our airports are gateways to local economies in the commonwealth, providing Pennsylvania communities with thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in economic benefit each year,” PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll said in a statement. “Governor Shapiro knows that investing in infrastructure leads directly to jobs and economic progress. This state support will improve our airports, make our infrastructure more resilient and stimulate regional business.”
Officials with the Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority, which owns and operates the airport, plan to use the newly announced state funds to continue the construction of a north-side parallel taxiway. The taxiway will provide access to expanding cargo facilities on the northern side of the airport in Hanover Township, Lehigh County, PennDOT announced.
The project is in its early stages as part of a master plan for improvements at the airport, also known as ABE, authority spokesman Colin Riccobon said. It comes as LVIA in 2022 processed a record 237,945,266 pounds of cargo, up 2.47% over 2021. Through May of this year, cargo traffic was up 31.6% over 2022′s year-to-date numbers, the airport authority reports.
“ABE continues to process record-breaking air cargo volumes and serves as a critical conduit for the movement of goods in the Northeast corridor,” airport authority Executive Director Thomas R. Stoudt said in a statement on the newly announced state support. “This funding is a part of the long-term plan for operational growth and will also help enhance the current infrastructure at the airport for cargo, commercial and general aviation operations.”
Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com.
Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com.