Havre City-County airport gets grant for design work

The Havre City-County Airport will get a $144,900 U.S. Department of Transportation grant to do design work for repairs and improvements to its taxiways, Sen. Steve. Daines announced.

Runway work at the airport was recently completed, said Tony Dolphay, the newly appointed airport manager.

Now the airport board has turned its attention to reconstruction of the taxiways and aprons.

The federal grant will supplement money coming from the state and from the Hill County mill levy approved by voters in 2014, Dolphay said.

State money comes from fees pilots pay.

"We are basically getting our money back," he said.

He compared it to the highway taxes that motorists pay.

Dolphay said the airport work is overdue.

"Usually this kind of work has a 20- to 25-year lifespan," he said. "I can't tell how long it's been since it was done."

Dolphay said the announcement of the grant is welcome news to start his tenure as airport manager.

He became manager July 1, replacing Terry Knowlton.

He has been on the board and served the airport in a variety of capacities over the years.

The grant calls for rehabilitation of 3,700 feet of existing Taxiway A, 250 feet of Taxiway B and 1,200 feet of Taxiway C.

The Havre grant was one of four announced by Daines. Similar grants were made to airports in Dillon, Laurel and Billings.

"This additional funding will ensure that our airports can continue to support the communities and regions they serve," Daines said in making the announcement