HONOLULU – The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has awarded the state Department of Transportation two grants totaling $64.7 million to rehabilitate the runway at Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport in Keahole.

The first grant, worth just over $49.6 million, was announced by the FAA on Tuesday as part of the bipartisan Airport Infrastructure Grants Act passed by the Biden administration to improve airport and air traffic control infrastructure across the country.

On August 9, the FAA also awarded just over $15 million to the U.S. Department of Transportation under the federal Airport Improvement Program, which provides funding for 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 implementation of necessary improvements to meet current FAA criteria.

Preliminary work is scheduled to begin in October, with main construction work expected to begin in November.

“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,” DOT Director Ed Sniffen said in a press 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.”