(BIVN) – The Hawaii Department of Transportation was awarded two federal grants totaling $64.7 million to rehabilitate the runway at Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport in Keāhole.

The money comes from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the US Department of Transportation.

In January, Kona Airport was suddenly closed after a crack was discovered in the runway. The closure affected 26 flights: 9 trans-Pacific flights and 17 inter-island flights. 160 people had to be accommodated in hotels.

From a press release from the Hawaiian DOT:

The first grant of $49,643,867 was announced today by the FAA as part of the Biden administration’s bipartisan Airport Infrastructure Grant (AIG) bill to improve airport and air traffic control infrastructure across the country. On August 9, the FAA also awarded $15,037,617 to HDOT as part of USDOT’s Airport Improvement Program, which funds airport infrastructure projects.

The combined funds will be used for the Runway 17-35 rehabilitation project, which includes construction and repair of the runway’s asphalt concrete and cement concrete pavement and necessary improvements to meet current FAA criteria. Preliminary work is scheduled to begin in October and major construction is expected to begin in November.

Archive photo by Hawaiʻi DOT

“This airfield improvement project is about more than just installing new pavement; it provides reliability for residents and businesses that rely on the airport’s only runway to stay connected and maintain the economic well-being of the community,” said Ed Sniffen, Hawaii Transportation Director. “We appreciate the support of the Biden administration, the FAA and our congressional delegation in our ongoing efforts to improve operational efficiency and increase safety at Kona Airport and our airports across the state.”