The Federal Aviation Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation is providing a grant of nearly $50 million to rehabilitate the runway at Kona International Airport.

The grant will fund safety improvements to the airport’s single runway. The airport has had to close several times this year to fix various runway issues.

First, the state Department of Transportation temporarily closed the airport in January to repair cracks in the runway. Then the runway was closed for two weeks in February so workers could proactively repair the asphalt. In April, the agency closed the airport again to repair another crack in the runway.

“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,” Hawaii Transportation Director Ed Sniffen said in a news release.

“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,” Sniffen continued.

Funding comes from the federal government’s cross-party infrastructure law. About half of the country’s 3,000 airports have received funding for security improvements.

Preliminary construction work is scheduled to begin in October and main construction work in November.

Click here for more information about the project.