With a $6.4 million federal grant finally in hand, Glacier Park International Airport began work Thursday to reconstruct a portion of the taxiway before winter weather sets in.

Funding for the project was hamstrung this summer after a political standoff caused a partial shutdown of the Federal Aviation Administration for weeks. Congress then passed a temporary funding extension in early August that restored dozens of stalled airport project.

Because of the delay, Glacier Park International Airport Director Cindi Martin hadn’t expected any construction this year. Now, Knife River will be able to reconstruct a portion of the taxiway and complete other rehabilitation work until the winter weather shuts down the project, Martin said.

The taxiway paving is a sister project to the runway rehabilitation done two years ago when the airport was closed for several days during August. But the taxiway project won’t involve any down time for passengers.

Next spring the commercial apron next to the airport also will be refurbished as another $2.3 million in improvements are made.

Projects completed this summer included the installation of a traffic light on U.S. 2 at the airport entrance and road work. Martin said the airport continued with upgrades this summer with preliminary funding out of the airport’s reserves.

The $8 million-plus in upgrades is part of a new 20-year master plan for the airport. Federal money will pay for 95 percent of the improvements, with the remaining 5 percent matched by the Flathead County Airport Authority.

The master plan calls for a new loop road within the next seven to 14 years that would connect to Fuel Farm Road south of the entrance to feed southbound traffic out that road.

The airport board of directors has been working on the new master plan for three years, doing it in schedules so some preliminary projects — such as relocating the rental car wash facility — could be done while the board still was working on the overall master plan.

Airports are required by the Federal Aviation Administration to outline six-year capital improvement programs and prioritize how federal money would be spent for capital projects.

Glacier Park International’s capital improvement plan over the next six years calls for $26 million worth of improvement projects. That includes the $8 million in upgrades planned this year and next. Also proposed are the rehabilitation and expansion of the airline ramp, installation of a de-icing pad and a glycol retention system.

Improvements to the airport interior also are being considered.

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by email at [email protected].