MOSES LAKE - In March Central Washington Asphalt begins a rehabilitation project at Grant County International Airport's aircraft ramp.

The project was made possible by a $2.5 million federal aviation grant, according to the port.

The project should take about three months to complete, said Pamp M. Maiers, president of Central Washington Asphalt in Moses Lake.

At a minimum, the company uses between 30 to 35 existing employees for the project. It is too early to tell if more are needed, Maiers said.

He is hiring project subcontractors. They include Neppel Electric, of Moses Lake, and a couple of Spokane contractors.

Maiers described the project as a "total reconstruction of about 195,000 square-feet of concrete being removed and replaced with asphalt."

The work entails establishing a new tie-down area for smaller aircraft.

"It's an area that's been unusable for the last 20 years," Maiers said.

It is being made usable for smaller aircraft and passenger aircraft weighing less than 160,000 pounds, he said.

The work provides more space for regional jet and larger corporate aircraft, and future flight test programs at the airport.

Precision Approach Engineering, of Corvallis, Ore., was awarded the engineering contract for the project.

"This project allows the port to rehabilitate a portion of the aircraft ramp that has been closed for some time due to its condition, and includes removal and replacement of the old concrete and asphalt," stated airport Director Craig Baldwin.