U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao announced Wednesday that the U.S. Department of Transportation is awarding $520.5 million dollars in airport infrastructure grants and Duchesne and Vernal made the list among the 287 airports nationwide. “This $520.5 million dollars 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,” shared Secretary Chao. Twelve grants were awarded in the state of Utah, with Vernal Regional Airport being the only airport to receive more than one grant. The Duchesne Municipal Airport was awarded $300,000 dollars to update the Airport Master Plan. The Vernal Regional Airport was awarded $620,197 dollars, reimbursing the airport for the perimeter fence that was constructed in 2011, and another $300,000 dollars to improve airport drainage and erosion control. Vernal airport manager Doug Brown says this is “very exciting for us and [we’re making] great strides forward in the progress of our airport.” Since January 2017, the Trump Administration has invested a record $11.4 billion dollars in over 2,000 airports across the United States.
