West Michigan Regional Airport has been awarded a $152,539.80 grant from the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) to repaint the markings on Runway 08/26 and purchase its first plow truck. New reflective runway markings and the airport’s first plow truck will keep the airport safer at night and open in winter, improving reliability for business and general aviation users. The south Holland-based airport supports thousands of business and general aviation flights year-round, and safe landings require both excellent visibility and clear runway conditions. The grant helps to fund both.
The marking work will restore the runway centerline, threshold, aiming point, edge and Runway Designator markings, all of which have faded after winter maintenance and seasonal wear. Crews will apply retroreflective glass beads, making the markings easier to see at night and in poor weather conditions.
“Runway markings are an important visual reference on takeoff and landing, and ours have worn down,” said Matt Neyens, airport manager. “Restoring them is basic maintenance that keeps the airfield working the way pilots expect.”
The grant also funded the airport’s first plow truck, which will pair with the broom vehicle added last winter. The broom clears light, dry snow from the runway and taxiways. The plow moves the deep, wet or packed accumulation the broom cannot, and clears hangar rows, apron access routes and tenant operating areas. Together they give the airport its own two-machine capability, rather than a single vehicle covering conditions it was not built for.
“Michigan’s general aviation airports serve communities, businesses and emergency operations across the state, and keeping them in good condition takes steady investment. This program is how we help local airports fund the work that keeps their airfields safe.”
Bryan Budds, director of MDOT’s Office of Aeronautics.
MDOT’s Office of Aeronautics awarded the funding through the State/Local Airport Program, which supports maintenance, equipment and capital projects at public-use airports across Michigan. The airport has the plow truck in hand and expects the runway marking work to be finished by next spring, if not sooner.
About West Michigan Regional Airport
West Michigan Regional Airport (BIV) is a public-use airport serving Holland, Zeeland and the surrounding West Michigan communities. The airport supports general aviation, flight education, corporate flight operations and aviation-based businesses, and is jointly owned by the City of Holland, City of Zeeland and Park Township.
