The county is poised to get $5.2 million from the Federal Aviation Administration for improvements to the southern end of the runway.

About 3,000 feet of runway near South Junction Road needs to be removed and replaced.

The grant will also pay for new lighting, pavement markings and some work on taxi-way areas.

Legislators will approve resolutions at tonight's special meeting that will allow the project to start once the grant is received, which is expected to be in the next week or so.

The meeting begins at 5:15 p.m. in the Legislative Chambers and is open to the public.

County Deputy Administrator Rodney Brown said work on the runway could begin in mid-August and should be complete by late fall.

The $40 million airport opened last year and was paid for largely by funding from the federal Military Airport Program.

The airport sits on the flight line of the former Plattsburgh Air Force Base, which closed in 1995.

jlotemplio@pressrepublican.com