Trumbull and Mahoning counties will receive $7.9 million from four federal appropriations bills signed into law with $5 million going to the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport to finish upgrading its runways.

In addition to the $5 million for the airport, the bills will provide $1.5 million to Boardman for safety enhancements to U.S. Route 224, $800,000 to Struthers for upgrades to its water pollution control facility’s infrastructure and $600,000 for work to the Niles Sanitary Detention Pump Station.

The money for the airport will improve runway 5/23, the smaller of the facility’s two runways.

The 5,000-foot-long runway was last resurfaced in 1997, said Randy Partika, director of engineering and construction for the Western Reserve Port Authority, which operates the airport in Vienna. The work will be done next year, Partika said.

The Federal Aviation Administration informed the WRPA that the airport’s two runways were close to disrepair, which would have resulted in them either being partially or completely shut down if this federal money didn’t come, said Anthony Trevena, WRPA executive director. The runway is currently listed in poor condition.

The airport’s main runway, which is 9,000 feet long, received a $5 million congressional earmark in December 2022 and then a $6.16 million earmark in March 2024. Using part of the $3 million in state budget funding approved in June 2024 as the project’s local match, that runway resurfacing project will begin in April and be finished around October.

WRPA received an $8.03 million federal grant in September 2023 to resurface the taxiway that leads to the facility’s main runway and connects to the Youngstown Air Reserve Station. That work was done last summer, Partika said.

“If the runways aren’t repaired to FAA standards, they could close or shorten them,” Trevena said. “If that happened “we wouldn’t have an air base. We continue to court airlines and with a shortened runway, that would be impossible so this is critical.”

The WRPA received nearly $28 million in federal and state funding during the past three-plus years to make the improvements to the airport.

OTHER EARMARKS

Boardman is receiving $1.5 million for safety enhancements to U.S. Route 224 between state Route 7 and the Interstate 680 interchange. That section of the road averages about 400 crashes annually.

The project will add sidewalks and turning lanes, provide signaling upgrades and improve pedestrian crossings at intersections as well as implement better vehicle access management strategies.

Struthers will get $800,000 to upgrade its water pollution control facility infrastructure to improve effluent from the plant by installing replacement equipment and the implementation of improved design, said U.S. Rep. Michael Rulli, R-Salem.

The improvements will benefit more than 35,000 residents and 22 businesses, Rulli said.

Niles will receive $600,000 for the completion of Phase 3 of the city’s sanitary detention pump station improvement project.

The project would provide a reliable and safe sanitary system to Niles residents, said U.S. Rep. Dave Joyce, R-Bainbridge, and allow for improved health, safety ad welfare to the city by mitigating residential sanitary back-up during heavy rain.

Joyce added the project would aid in reducing overall stress on the city’s wastewater treatment plant that would stabilize sewer rates.

Joyce said: “By restoring Congress’ power of the purse, members can make spending decisions for their districts and ensure federal dollars are directed to the programs and communities that need them most.”

Rulli said: “For far too long, our critical infrastructure needs have gone unfunded. I’m proud of the work my office has done to finally deliver these long-overdue investments.”