Quad City airport using $3.3M from US to replace lighting

MOLINE, Ill. (AP) - Quad City International Airport is receiving nearly $3.3 million in federal funds to replace lighting on a runway and plan for future needs at the western Illinois airport.

U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos and U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth announced the money from the U.S. Department of Transportation on Tuesday. Durbin says the airport is "a critical transportation link for central Illinois" and the money will help the airport serve residents and visitors safely and efficiently.

About $3 million will be used for lighting systems on a runway and taxiway. The existing systems need to be rehabbed to make airfield operations safer when visibility is low. The remaining roughly $300,000 will go toward an update of the airport's master plan.