The Abilene City Council approved an amendment to a task order for design and construction management of a new airport access road, adding $122,300 for signage and turning-lane work and bringing the task order total to $332,300.

Don Green, Director of Transportation Services, told the council the project is funded by an FY-24 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development economic development grant secured with assistance from Congressman Arrington. Green said the HUD grant totals $6,700,000 and that the grant will cover the added design and construction-management costs. “The HUD grant is a 100% grant, so there are no city funds needed for matching or anything like that,” Green said.

Green described the project as a new road through what the city calls Area B at the airport; the roadway will connect Highway 36 across from FM 18, create a new intersection and connect through Area B to Airport Boulevard. The design scope added by amendment includes signage and a turning lane; Green said the city also has been coordinating with TxDOT on a potential traffic signal at the Highway 36/FM 18 intersection and that adding the signal as a bid alternate would speed implementation if TxDOT’s timeline proved too long.

The council voted 6–0 to approve the amendment after a public hearing produced no speakers. The motion to approve was made by Councilman Reagan and seconded by Councilman Price.

Green said the access road is intended to open parcels A1, A2 and A3 for commercial and aeronautical/aerospace-type development and that current construction-cost estimates are materially below the total HUD award.

No additional city general-fund dollars were committed at the meeting.