(BIVN) – Two federal grants totaling $64.7 million have been awarded to the Hawai‘i Department of Transportation to rehabilitate the runway at the Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keāhole.

The money comes from the The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration, or FAA.

In January, the Kona airport was closed suddenly after a crack was discovered in the runway. 26 flights were affected by the closure: 9 trans-Pacific flights, and 17 inter-island flights. 160 people were put up in hotels.

From a Hawaiʻi DOT news release:

The first grant of $49,643,867 was announced today by the FAA as part of the Biden Administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Airport Infrastructure Grant (AIG) program to improve airport and air traffic control infrastructure across the country. On Aug. 9, the FAA also awarded $15,037,617 to HDOT as part of the 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 to the asphalt concrete and cement concrete pavement on the runway and making necessary upgrades to meet current FAA criteria. Pre-construction work is scheduled to begin in October and the main construction work is anticipated to begin in November.

file photo by Hawaiʻi DOT

“This airfield improvement project is more than just installing new pavement; it’s ensuring reliability for residents and businesses that depend on the airport’s only runway to stay connected and to sustain the economic well-being of the community,” said Hawai‘i Director of Transportation Ed Sniffen. “We appreciate the support of the Biden Administration, the FAA and our congressional delegation in our ongoing efforts to improve operational efficiencies and enhance safety at the Kona Airport and our airports across the state.”