Tupelo airport lands $5.4M for runway

The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, 6/17/8

The U.S. Department of Transportation on Monday released a $5.4 million grant to the Tupelo Regional Airport to widen its runway from 100 feet to 150 feet.

The work also will strengthen the runway’s weight-bearing capacity from 90,000 pounds to 200,000 pounds, thus allowing greater cargo-carrying capacity.

Sen. Thad Cochran said the funding is important to new industries, such as Toyota, that “rely on timely delivery of materials.”

“The city and the surrounding area are growing and it is important that the quality of the airport stays in step with progress in the region,” he said.