This file photo from March 2009 shows the Lawrence Municipal Airport from the southeast looking northwest.

The city has been awarded a federal grant for the installation of a wildlife fence at the Lawrence Municipal Airport.

The U.S. Department of Transportation announced Monday that the Federal Aviation Administration will provide a $1.6 million grant, according to a news release.

A 2012 FAA study found a substantial wildlife population in the immediate vicinity of the airport — including badgers, deer and coyotes — and recommended the city install a wildlife fence.

The city-operated airport is a few miles north of town on U.S. Highway 24. The airport has a 5,700-foot runway and averages more than 100 daily flights, according to the city’s website. City officials previously told the Journal-World that the fence could prevent an accident should an animal run across the runway when a pilot is taking off or landing.

The grant is part of $169 million awarded Monday to 85 airports across the country, according to the release. The grants are part of the FAA’s Airport Improvement Program, which funds various types of airport infrastructure projects.