MILWAUKEE, Wis. – Today, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao joined local officials at the General Mitchell International Airport (MKE) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to announce the U.S. Department of Transportation will award $16.1 million in airport infrastructure grants to airports across the state of Wisconsin. This is part of a $520.5 million infrastructure announcement the Secretary announced today to 287 airports in 41 states.

“This $520.5 million in federal support to airports across the country will help to keep our nation’s airports in good shape and make air travel a better experience for passengers,” said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao.

Secretary Chao announced General Mitchell International Airport will receive $600,000 to rehabilitate a runway and the State of Wisconsin will receive $15.5 million to help fund eligible projects at airports across the state of Wisconsin.

The State of Wisconsin’s $15.5 million state block grant award will fund critical development projects, necessary equipment acquisition and infrastructure projects at small and rural airports across the state. This will include weather observation stations, terminal buildings, fencing and lighting.

With this announcement, the Trump Administration has invested a historic $11.4 billion to more than two thousand airports across the United States for safety and infrastructure improvements since January 2017.

The Administration not only supports infrastructure through funding – it is making it possible to deliver these much-needed improvements more quickly. The Department is working hard to streamline the approval process, cut unnecessary red tape and reduce unnecessary, duplicative regulations that do not contribute to safety.  

These investments and reforms are especially timely because the U.S. economy is surging. Employers have added more than 7 million jobs since January 2017. To kick off the new decade, a robust 225,000 American jobs were added in January 2020 and the unemployment rate is still a remarkable 3.6 percent—the lowest in 50 years.

Aviation is an important part of that growth. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, U.S. civil aviation supports more than 5% of U.S. gross domestic product; $1.6 trillion in economic activity; and nearly 11 million jobs.

“America’s airports provide a gateway to the world for our citizens while at the same time delivering first impressions of the United States to visitors from abroad,” said Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Steve Dickson. “It’s in our national interest to make them the crown jewel in our transportation system. The Airport Improvement Program allows us to do just that.”

See a complete listing of grants on our website.