ASHLAND — Connecting the Ashland County Airport to U.S. Route 42 could start next year.
Denny Baum, the airport’s manager, said two resolutions recently approved by Ashland County commissioners allow for the rehabilitation of an existing road that extends from the entrance to the skydivers’ hangar.
Commissioners authorized two grant applications on Nov. 6 totaling $40,975 the “access road project.”
“Rehab. That’s the first phase,” Baum said.
Once that road is rehabbed, a road crew will build a new road that connects the airport to U.S. Route 42 — a project that has been in the works for years.
The airport authority began acquiring the 25 acres needed for the road in 2020 through Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grants. The road is now designed and engineered, which was covered with an additional $75,000 grant in 2022.
Baum said it should all wrap up by 2026.
He said the project — it’s been estimated to cost between $400,000 and $1 million — has been and will be funded through a mix of federal, state and local money. (The lion’s share, 90%, will come from Federal Aviation Administration grant dollars.)
Terminal nearing completion
Completing a connector road aligns with the airport authority’s vision for its future: to become a hub for aviation training.
The centerpiece for that future is the airport’s new, nearly $2 million terminal — which has been under construction since March.
Baum said the airport authority will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the terminal on Dec. 16.
Officials hope the 4,000 square-foot terminal could house a school for pilots and maintenance workers, along with a pilot lounge, community room, bathroom with a shower and a separate public restroom.