OXFORD – Two Oxford County airports are among nine in Maine receiving millions of dollars in federal grants.

The Oxford County Regional Airport in Oxford will receive $1,873,400 and the Eastern Slope Regional Airport in Fryeburg will receive $194,133 from the Federal Aviation Administration.

“Maine’s airports, both big and small, are critical resources for the communities in which they exist and the people they serve,” Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins said in a joint statement. “It is essential that we enhance and maintain the infrastructure at each of these airports in order to remain competitive and efficient.”

Oxford airport is receiving the second highest funding of the nine.

The Portland International Jetport will receive $2.65 million for apron construction and design.

Carol Mahoney Fulton, county administrator with Oxford County, said the FAA grants can only be used for safety issues. Work at the Oxford airport will include the rehabilitation of the single 3,000-foot runway, replacement of runway and taxiway lights, tree clearing, sign relocation and earthwork.

Fulton said the runway will be closed for 21 days while work is done. No specific day for construction has been set, but she said it will take place after Labor Day.

On Tuesday, commissioners awarded the Oxford work to Gendron & Gendron, which bid $1,281,063, pending approval by Hoyle, Tanner and Associates, the engineering firm that will oversee the project. Shaw Brothers Construction and K & K Excavation also bid on the project for $1,553,850 and $1,820,698, respectively.

David Cullinan, operations manager at the Eastern Slope Regional Airport, said the funds will be used for crack sealing in the airport’s taxiway and 4,200-foot runway. Cullinan said the work is the first of three phases in a project to upkeep other airport surfaces. He said bids for the project are due Friday.

Fulton said the county and state will each match 2.5 percent of the total cost of the project.

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