ANNISTON– The City of Anniston has been awarded $18,492,378 in federal funding to improve the primary runway at Anniston Regional Airport. The city says the project will support Anniston Army Depot.

The grant covers about 96.9% of the $19,092,378 project, according to the city’s Sept. 24 release. It comes through the Defense Community Infrastructure Program, which funds projects that benefit military installations and nearby communities.

Mayor Ciara Smith-Roston said the city wants the airport to serve the region and its defense partners. “We have been working really hard to reimagine what our Anniston Regional Airport can be,” she said. Smith-Roston also credited City Manager Matthew Caballero and Economic Development Director and Airport Manager Aaron Norris with advancing that goal.

The airport also handles military traffic associated with Anniston Army Depot, the city said. Its existing asphalt runway measures 7,002 feet long and 150 feet wide. In addition, the airport provides hangars, flight instruction, aircraft tie-downs, and aviation fuel.

The city describes the airport as a state-certified, unlimited-use general aviation facility near Interstate 20. It also has more than 500,000 square feet of paved apron and ramp space.

To show the airport’s existing economic role, the city cited a state transportation study published in 2020. Using 2018–19 data, it estimated $4.57 million in annual economic activity and $1.28 million in payroll. The study counted 44 jobs, including indirect and induced employment. Those figures predate this grant and do not measure its future effects.

City officials say the improved runway could help attract more aviation activity and related business. They have not announced a construction schedule.

Meanwhile, the federal Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation announced the award Sept. 22. Anniston’s project is among 26 Defense Community Infrastructure Program grants totaling about $230 million nationwide.