Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport

Photo: www.pullman-wa.gov

PULLMAN - U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) announced nearly $100 million in Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant funding for Washington state on Tuesday.

RAISE grants, which were originally created under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act as TIGER grants, can be used for a wide variety of infrastructure projects with local or regional impact.

Included in the funding is $5 million for the Airport Road Multimodal & Regional Access Improvements Project in Pullman.

Right now, Airport Road in Pullman is limited to motorized vehicles. According to a release from Murray's office, the City of Pullman Airport Road Multimodal & Regional Access Improvements Project will design a road to expand access to alternative forms of transportation and improve access to the airport for communities in the region. This will be especially important given the recent announcement of Pullman-Moscow Airport’s terminal expansion. The grant funding will ensure that these projects are shovel-ready once the city acquires capital funding.

“Airport Road is a critical artery for so many drivers in Pullman and the surrounding area, but right now is not built for any other kind of transit,” said Senator Murray. “This planning grant will help the city implement their complete streets policy around the city so that walkers and bikers can safely community on Airport Road and around Pullman. These kinds of investments make our communities stronger and better places to live and raise a family and I am proud to fund projects like these in Washington state.”

“Pullman-Moscow Airport is an economic driver for the region, supporting nearly 1,000 jobs with an economic impact of $130 million annually. These funds will support efforts to increase the capacity of Airport Road which will improve access for students, business travelers, and workers as the airport continues to grow,” Sen. Cantwell said.