Las Vegas airport likely to get $1.16M grant to extend taxiway

A Southwest Airline passenger jet takes off from McCarran International Airport. (Las Vegas Review-Journal)

McCarran International Airport will likely receive a $1.16 million federal grant to help pay for a project that will extend one of the taxiways, Sen. Dean Heller’s office said in a statement issued Thursday.

It was unclear how much the taxiway extension project would cost or when construction would begin.

McCarran, the nation’s eighth busiest airport, has logged increases in passenger traffic for 15 consecutive months. May marked the busiest month in the Las Vegas airport’s history with more than 4.36 million inbound and outbound travelers, topping the previous record set in October.

“As McCarran International Airport continues to welcome millions of passengers each year, it’s critical that the airport has the infrastructure resources it needs to ensure that these outgoing and incoming visitors can travel efficiently, safely, and have a positive experience while doing so,” said Heller, a member of the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.

Contact Art Marroquin at amarroquin@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0336. Follow @AMarroquin_LV on Twitter.