An aerial view of the Huron Memorial Airport.

Recently, Rep. Terry Brown announced $157,895 in funding for a new taxiway and the funding includes costs for the engineering and an environmental study.

"My top priority is creating good-paying jobs for our workers, and to do that we must attract top-notch employers to our area," said Brown.

He added, "Investors want to make sure that traveling to the Thumb will be easy and reliable, and that's where our airports are absolutely vital."

This is simply another step at the airport as officials look toward future development at the site. The Huron County Road Commission oversees the airport.

"Currently there is no taxiway; not having this can create a possible dangerous situation with planes landing and taking off," explained Huron County Road Commission Secretary/Manager Neal Hentschl.

He added, "The taxiway is critical to future development at the airport."

The Road Commission and airport officials work together with the National Aeronautics Commission to better serve the area and meet the needs at the airport.

"We have met with the National Aeronautics, last fall and they came up with the concept and they actually stepped up to do something," said Hentschl.

This year, engineers will be designing the taxiway along with an environmental study that needs to be conducted prior to the construction. Once this is complete, Hentschl said, they hope to start construction of the taxiway in the spring of 2009.

"We must invest in our Thumb workers and infrastructure, such as airports, in order to turn our economy around," said Brown. "By improving our airports, we are making our communities safer and stronger for our own residents as well as more attractive for visitors, new residents and employers."