Chippewa County International Airport (CIU) recently completed a runway lighting modernization project. New airfield lighting on Runway 10/28, the 5,000 foot crosswind runway, was upgraded to LED lights. This upgrade will replace the current 19 year old lighting, reduce energy costs, and minimize future maintenance. J.R. Ranck was the contractor on this project which totaled $800,000.00. In addition to lighting, all runway and taxiway surfaces were crack sealed to maintain the integrity of all pavements that were improved several years ago.
“Infrastructure improvements increase safety and benefit the airport for many years”, stated Tami Beseau, Airport Manager. “Public use of our facility continues to grow, with May 2018, surpassing all previous Mays total passengers”. “Upgraded, and well maintained infrastructure plays a large part in the public’s increased confidence in our facility”, stated Beseau.
Both projects were funded through USDOT- Airport Improvement Program (AIP), State of Michigan, Chippewa County, and the Chippewa County EDC.
The Chippewa County EDC manages CIU and the Chippewa County Air/Industrial Park. Department of Transportation studies indicate that CIU provides more than 11 million dollars in direct income to residents in the county. Sales to suppliers and the “ripple effects” of income re-spending bring the total impact to more than 33 million dollars.
