Ohio U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown announced that the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has awarded five grants totaling $735,787 to five airports in Northwest Ohio including in Bluffton and Putnam County.

“Ohio airports are vital infrastructure supporting travel and commerce in our state,” Brown said.

“These investments will enhance safety and operations at Northwest Ohio airports and improve travel for area residents and businesses.”

Funding from FAA includes:

•  $310,159 to the Bluffton Airport to reconstruct taxi lane pavement and shifts the hangar taxiway to meet FAA design standards.
• $153,000 to the Putnam County Airport in Ottawa to construct a new T-hangar for aircraft storage and a 25-foot taxi lane to connect an existing parking area to a hangar area and performs sealing and crack repairs to the existing taxiway surface.
• $94,950 to the Lakefield Airport in Celina to conduct a new airport drainage study.
• $89,676 to the Van Wert County Airport to reconstruct an existing runway lighting system, construct a lighting vault to meet FAA standards, and install replacement runway end identifier lights to make the airport more accessible by improving approaches to the runway.
• $88,002 to the Lima Allen County Airport to rehabilitate existing taxiway pavement and connector pavement.