Redmond Airport receives $7 million from feds toward $155 million terminal expansion project

WASHINGTON (KTVZ) – Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, D-Ore., announced Thursday a total of $15.2 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds will be heading to the Redmond Municipal Airport (RDM) for its major expansion project and Portland International Airport (PDX) to replace nine older jetways.

The funding comes from the Fiscal Year 2024 Airport Terminal Grants program. These federal grants are intended to fund safe, sustainable, and accessible airport terminals, on-airport rail access projects, and airport-owned air traffic control towers.

“PDX and RDM are hubs for many travelers on the move,” said Merkley. “These federal investments will support ADA accessibility within these airports, increase energy efficiency, and ensure folks are able to move safely between planes and boarding bridges—the critical infrastructure that we rely on when flying in Oregon and beyond.”

“You can’t have a big-league economy without big-league infrastructure. Well-functioning and welcoming airports are vital for economic growth and for the small businesses in every corner of the state that depend on tourism dollars to keep their doors open,” Wyden said. “I’m particularly thrilled that this investment will support Central Oregon’s growing economy and our state’s $14 billion tourism industry, with the added bonus of enhanced travel experiences for Oregonians and visitors alike.”    

Funding and project descriptions can be found below:

$7,000,000 for Redmond Municipal Airport to fund a portion of the terminal building expansion project. This project will increase the building size to nearly double and improve energy efficiency and ADA compliance.

$8,214,286 for Portland International Airport to fund the replacement of up to nine Passenger Boarding Bridges that have reached the end of their useful life.

“We are very grateful for all the hard work Senator Wyden and Senator Merkley and their staff performed to help Redmond get this grant,” said Redmond Mayor Ed Fitch.

“This grant moves us a step closer to funding the $155 million Phase 1 expansion of the Redmond Municipal Airport terminal,” said Redmond Airport Director Zachary Bass. “The project includes new jet bridges, expanded counter positions, increased baggage efficiency, and more retail/concession options for customers. All of which are necessary to accommodate the growth of new airlines, more direct destinations, and greater daily frequencies positively affecting Central Oregon’s robust tourism and business industries.”

Bass told NewsChannel 21 the funding announcement was "great news! We applied for $13 million this year and got the $7 million, which is exciting. Outside of PDX, we are the only Oregon airport to get this funding over the last three cycles." 

"We're committed to a PDX that operates sustainably and is safe and welcoming to everyone who passes through it. Today's investment will allow us to double down on that commitment for the new PDX, with new passenger boarding bridges that are safe, reliable, energy efficient, and accessible for all passengers. We're thankful to our delegation for their continued support to make sure our region's airport continues to meet travelers' needs,” said Port of Portland's Executive Director Curtis Robinhold.