The City of Atlantic has received the “green light” from the F-A-A , to begin the process of building a parallel taxiway at the Atlantic Municipal Airport. City Administrator Doug Harris told the City Council about the good news during their meeting, Wednesday evening. Harris says he received an e-mail last week from the F-A-A informing him of the news. Harris said he was surprised, because everyone thought after the FAA approved side work and grading for the project, that it would be years before the City saw any money for the parallel taxiway. The e-mail however, said the project is “A go,” for Fiscal Year 2013, which according to Harris, means it will go out for bid early next year.

The Airport Improvement Project will be 90-percent paid for through federal funds. That amounts to a little more than $1.04-million. The City picks up the remaining 10-percent of the cost. Funds for the FAA grant come from a tax on the sale of airline tickets. The City had earlier received a federal grant amounting to more than $538, 800, for the grading, paving, marking and lighting of a parallel taxiway.