December 27, 2007
Grant Money for Alamo Airport

By Dave Maxwell

Alamo does not have an airport. Never has. What it does have is a gravel landing strip that was used for drag races back in the 1970’s. Once, it was used for huge Air Force cargo planes to conduct brake testing, which stirred up huge amounts of dust.

County Manager John Lovelady says grant money amounting to 95 percent of the funds needed for a $450,000 Airport Capital Improvement Plan can be obtained from the Economic Development Authority to give Alamo a paved airport, similar to the Lincoln County Airport in Panaca. “If we get our application in before June 2008, then we will get $427,500 for facility design,” he said. The County would only have to come up with $22,500 in matching funds.

“In 2009,” Lovelady said, “we’re looking at constructing a main runway, apron, taxiway, grading drainage, access road, fencing and gates.” Those projects will cost about $2 million of which the County will have to match with $135,000 in order to get 95 percent funding from the EDA.

Lovelady said an Environmental Assessment study is being done now on the Airport land and is expected to be ready by June, which is a required portion of the grant application process.

He also said it would be important for Lincoln County to work with the Nevada Department of Transportation, asking them to appropriate about $300,000 of the 2009 budget to be hammered out in the 2009 Nevada State Legislative session.