photo by: Chad Lawhorn/Journal-World

The terminal building, left, and an aircraft hangar, right, are shown at the Lawrence Municipal Airport on Aug. 25, 2022.

The Lawrence Regional Airport has been selected to receive more than $1.3 million in funding as part of the Kansas Airport Improvement Program, Gov. Laura Kelly’s office announced Wednesday.

Lawrence was among 66 airport projects selected across the state. This year, the program awarded more than $11 million to the approved projects.

The Kansas Department of Transportation’s Division of Aviation received 153 applications seeking a combined total project value of more than $66 million for this round of grants, according to the governor’s news release. Projects were scored according to impact on flight safety, economic growth and regional benefit.

The money slated for Lawrence Regional is for the following improvements: airport master plan update, $360,000; apron rehabilitation, $130,500 design, $800,000 construct; and runway extension, $99,750 design.

Kelly said the Kansas aerospace industry was an essential part of the state’s economy.

“These grants ensure the safety and longevity of Kansas airports, all while contributing to economic growth and job creation,” she said in the release, which stated that the aviation industry represents over $20.6 billion in economic impact across a broad spectrum of supply chain and manufacturing industries in Kansas.