Airport lands $13.6M grant for runway

FORT MYERS — The U.S. Department of Transportation awarded the Lee County Port Authority a $13.6 million grant for Page Field, a general business and aviation airport.

The grant, according to a release, was made under the Federal Aviation Administration's Airport Improvement Program, which awards funds to eligible airports for planning and development projects. Page Field, the release adds, is the FAA-designated reliever airport for Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers, and it handled nearly 97,000 operations in 2015.

The grant will allow the airport to move ahead with a rehabilitation project of Page Field's primary-use runway. That includes enhancements to the airfield's lighting, drainage and signage, in addition to improvements to the structural integrity of the runway. The improvements are necessary to repair the 20-plus year-old pavement, extend its useful life and bring it up to current FAA standards, say port authority officials.