BRUNSWICK

Two local airports will use more than $1.8 million in federal and state grant money to make improvements to their runways and operations.

Brunswick Executive Airport is scheduled to receive the vast majority of the grants, totalling $1.7 million from the Federal Aviation Administration and the Maine Department of Transportation; Wiscasset Municipal Airport will receive $45,000 from the FAA and $2,500 from the state to reduce tree encroachment into runway visibility.

Each airfield has to contribute a local matching — $2,500 for Wiscasset, $88,900 from Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority — to qualify for the grants.

According to a 2011 survey, sightlines and runway lighting at Wiscasset’s airfield are being overrun by tree growth both on and off airport property. Night operations already have been shut down. Unless the canopy is cut back, all flight traffic will have to be grounded.

An engineering study was done and an arborist already hired on good faith that the grant money would be awarded.

Brunswick Executive Airport, which is call-signed BXM in pilot lingo, received far more federal money because of needed renovations to Hangar 5’s roof and the original terminal building.

Other projects include work to the building which houses snow removal equipment, airfield pavement maintenance and designing repairs to the former air station’s antiquated drainage system.

The old air control tower, known as Building 200, will require the majority of the grant money — an estimated $1.3 million — to bring it up to modern civilian fire, electrical and accessibility codes. It has not yet been marketed and no specific tenant yet has been identified or expressed an interest in the spot.

MRRA officials speculated in 2012 about potentially relocating their offices from cavernous Hangar 6 to the old tower because of its location and more appropriate dimensions. However, revelopment sources say no official moving plan has been made and that renovating the space to make it suitable for a commercial tenant is MRRA’s priority.
jtleonard@timesrecord.com