Pellston Airport Plans $1.5M Passenger Bridge Fix

McKINLEY TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) - Authorities are planning a $1.47 million project at a northern Michigan airport to replace a 10-year-old passenger bridge whose original manufacturer went out of business, making repairs hard.

The Petoskey News-Review says the Federal Aviation Administration would pay 95 percent of the cost of the work at Pellston Regional Airport. Emmet County and Michigan would split the rest.

The walkway between airplanes and the terminal was replaced in 2003 when Pellston underwent an $8 million expansion and remodeling.

Airport Manager Kelley Atkins says getting a new bridge takes care of current repair needs and makes future repairs easier because replacement parts would be more available.

The FAA says passenger boardings at the airport rose 9 percent in 2012 to 24,864 people. The airport is in McKinley Township, neighboring Pellston.

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