The funding was first announced by Rep. Pete Stauber, R-Hermantown, last week. Stauber is a member of the House Subcommittee on Aviation, and noted the funding coming from the Airport Improvement Program.

"As the state of Minnesota continues down the path of recovery, providing resources for our airports is absolutely vital," Stauber said. "I will continue to work to support local airports, which are essential to the economic viability of our communities.”

The state's two Democratic senators, Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith, weighed in, too, this week.

"Critical investments in our infrastructure serve as a down payment on the long-term economic well-being of our state and country,” Klobuchar said.

The grant will be used to start work on the airport's latest major project — a taxiway reconstruction across numerous phases expected to cost $60 million-$70 million, the Duluth International Airport said in an email about the project.

Taxiway A — a parallel taxiway for the main runway serving the airport — is the project target.

"The full taxiway is approximately 10,700 feet in length with existing asphalt and concrete pavement that has been in place since 1974," the airport said in an email. "Phase 1 will include approximately 1,800 feet of taxiway, 75 feet in width, with asphalt shoulders."

Additionally, new taxiway lighting will be installed, and the associated airfield lighting control system modified to match the installed lighting configuration.

The Duluth International Airport completed reconstruction of its main runway in August 2019. The project reconstructed around 60 acres at its airfield and cost around $38 million, most of it federal dollars.