After more than 10 years in development, the new 5,500-foot runway at the Perry Municipal Airport went into operation Thursday following a ribbon-cutting ceremony that drew about 50 attendees.
Feasibility studies and environmental-impact assessments began in 2014 and 2015, and land acquisition began in 2019, when the Perry City Council approved the sale of $2.075 million in general obligation bonds in order to finance the airport improvements.
Funding from the Federal Aviation Administration covered 90% of the $12 million cost of the new runway, with the city of Perry’s 10% share amounting to about $1.2 million.
About 124 acres were purchased by the city and added to the airport’s original 138 acres in order to accommodate the new runway. The airport’s 4,000-foot, hard-surface runway was converted to use as a taxiway, at a cost of $1.5 million, and now runs alongside the new 5,500-foot concrete runway.
Former U.S. Rep. Cindy Axne was instrumental in bringing more than $7 million in federal funds to the Perry runway project, including money in the 2020 Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in 2021 and the American Rescue Plan in 2022.