U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood Secures $1.5 Million Federal Funding For Bloomington Airport Cargo Road

U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood Secures $1.5 Million Federal Funding For Bloomington Airport Cargo Road

U.S. Representative Darin LaHood announced Monday that he secured a $1.5 million federal grant to help build a new cargo road at the Central Illinois Regional Airport in Bloomington. The funding will separate truck traffic from passenger terminal traffic and improve safety for all vehicles using the airport.

LaHood presented the check during a visit to the airport this week. The federal dollars will help with the design and construction of a new air cargo road that connects to the airport's FedEx facility.

The goal is to redirect truck activity to a different road. This change will immediately improve traffic safety for all vehicles accessing the air cargo and passenger terminal areas.

The project is part of a larger $19 million package of federal funding that LaHood secured for 11 projects across the 16th District. The other projects include infrastructure improvements in Peoria, bridge replacements in Pekin and Streator, and transportation upgrades in Grundy County.

Airport Authority Receives Funding

The recipient of the $1.5 million grant is the Bloomington-Normal Airport Authority. The funding will be used specifically for the design and construction of the new air cargo road.

"Throughout this appropriations process, I have advocated for critical projects that directly address the needs of communities across the 16th District," said Rep. LaHood. "I am happy to announce that I have secured nearly $19 million for meaningful investments in public safety, economic growth, and critical infrastructure projects in communities across Central and Northwestern Illinois."

The air cargo road project directly benefits the Bloomington-Normal community by improving traffic flow and safety at the airport. The cargo road will allow the Airport Authority to redirect truck activity away from the passenger terminal areas.

Part of Larger Infrastructure Package

The $1.5 million cargo road grant is one of 11 projects that received funding in this cycle. The other projects include:

• Galena Road Industrial Park Infrastructure Update in Peoria: $600,000
• Radnor Road Street Corridor Plan in Peoria: $1,000,000
• Furrow Bridge Replacement in Pekin: $500,000
• Park and Bilger Bridges Replacement in Streator: $1,000,000
• Design and Construction of Air Cargo Road at the Central Illinois Regional Airport: $1,500,000
• Design and Construction of new Interchange at Minooka Road and I-80 in Grundy County: $5,000,000
• Technology Update for the Bloomington Real Time Information and Crime Center: $556,000

Members of Congress are able to submit Community Project Funding requests during the annual appropriations process to support infrastructure and community projects in their district. LaHood secured nearly $19 million for these projects during the House of Representatives appropriations process.

Impact on Bloomington-Normal

The air cargo road project will directly impact the Bloomington-Normal community by improving traffic safety at the Central Illinois Regional Airport. The new road will allow the airport to separate truck traffic from passenger terminal traffic.

The construction of the air cargo road will benefit the airport's FedEx facility and improve overall airport operations. This infrastructure upgrade will support economic growth in the Bloomington-Normal area.

LaHood's advocacy for this project demonstrates his commitment to improving critical infrastructure in the 16th District. The $1.5 million grant will help move the project forward and improve safety for all airport users.

The other projects in the $19 million package include bridge replacements in Pekin and Streator, as well as a new interchange in Grundy County. These infrastructure improvements will benefit communities across Central and Northwestern Illinois.