The Renton Municipal Airport will soon start construction on revitalizing Taxiway Alpha with more than $17 million in grant money.

Taxiway Alpha is the main taxiway for all aircraft on the west side of the airport and is the longest taxiway at the airport.

At the Sept. 8 Renton City Council meeting, the council accepted two grants from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for $17,159,212 and one from the Washington Department of Transportation for $279,701.52 for the Taxiway Alpha Rehabilitation Project.

The council also awarded the bid for construction on the project to Scarsella Bros. Inc. to not exceed $18,960,797.06. Boeing will be covering the cost of the new pavement on their leased area adjacent to the new taxiway pavement for $896,732.66. The total cost to the city of Renton including grant matching funds will be $3,045,631.

Renton Airport Director Manny Cruz said Taxiway Alpha is also the main taxiway for Boeing’s 737 factory. Cruz said the taxiway has not been replaced in more than 20 years.

“It’s holding up okay, but pavement deteriorates pretty quickly, so we want to make sure that we build infrastructure that’s going to last and keep the airport available to the public,” Cruz said.

Cruz said the project will take two years to complete and will be done in phases to allow a portion of the taxiway to remain open and not disrupt business. He said this year they will only be working on the electrical aspects of the project, which includes upgrading the lighting systems to LED. The taxiway replacement will start during next year’s dry season.

“It’s a big project and a big deal for the airport,” Cruz said. “Maintaining the infrastructure is a critical part to make sure the asset is in the best condition for the city and for the airport. We have over 120,000 operations a year at this airport, so having a taxiway that is safe and reliable is very important.”