July 1, 2022 10:00 a.m. 

U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley have announced that the Roseburg Regional Airport and the Southwest Oregon Regional Airport in North Bend, will receive more than $1.2 million combined from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for improvements and expansions.

Wyden said that Oregonians and small businesses in rural parts of the state count on reliable air service and modern infrastructure to send their products and generate local jobs. Wyden said, “The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law I am proud to have supported helps small airports like the ones in North Bend and Roseburg maintain and expand their infrastructure in order to support Oregon’s economic growth in a global market. And I’ll keep fighting for airports throughout our state to secure their fare share of federal resources so essential to their success”.

Merkley said, “This funding for airports in Roseburg and North Bend will help to improve critical infrastructure that we rely on when flying – whether transporting people or cargo. These improvements will not only support the airports, but local economies and Oregon as whole”.

A release said the Southwest Oregon Regional Airport will receive more than $1 million for a project that updates the existing apron pavement that has reached the end of its useful life and adds another southwest apron to accommodate increased local use.

Roseburg Airport will receive $200,000 to reconfigure its Taxiway A to meet Federal Aviation Administration design standards. Roseburg City Manager Nikki Messenger said, “We are so appreciative of this grant for making the design possible and thank the Oregon delegation and FAA for making this safety improvement a reality”. Messenger said, “We have been looking forward to extending the taxiway to match the runway length for over a decade and this will help us make that happen”.