Planes are seen at a dedication ceremony for the Packwood Airport earlier this year.
Following the completion of a $2 million renovation at the Packwood Airport, the project has received an award from the Washington Asphalt Pavement Association for “excellence in airport pavement.”
The award for the runway improvements was recently given to Lewis County and Lakeside Industries.
“We’re proud our airport did win and it was really nice to be part of that group,” Lee Napier, the county’s community development director, said at a meeting on Wednesday.
The runway at the airport became unusable and was closed in October 2015. Reconstruction efforts in 2016 included a wider runway of 60 feet, an extended safety area, LED runway lighting, stormwater drainage improvements, a beacon with a tilt down tower, a new wind cone, a new electrical vault building and the relocation of Teal Lake Estates Road.
The majority of the project was paid for by a Federal Aviation Administration grant that covered 90 percent of the reconstruction. Lewis County and the Washington State Department of Transportation contributed the remainder of the funds.
The dedication event of the airport in July of this year brought in between 100 and 150 people. At least 27 airplanes took advantage of the reconstructed runway.
