MARQUETTE — A U.S. Department of Transportation grant totaling over $4.6 million was awarded to Sawyer International Airport, while just over $4 million was awarded to the Delta County Airport in Escanaba, U.S. Sens. Gary Peters, D-Bloomfield Hills, and Debbie Stabenow, D-Lansing, announced in a press release.

“Investing in Delta County and Sawyer International airports will support economic development and tourism in the region,” Stabenow said in the release. “This funding will protect the safety of our fliers and encourage businesses to invest in the region and create jobs.”

Sawyer International Airport plans to utilize the funding for a hangar rehabilitation project, while the Delta County Airport will use the funds for reconstructing runway lighting, according to the release.

“(This) large amount of grant dollars will be great for our community,” Marquette County Administrator Scott Erbisch said in a phone interview Tuesday. “When Sawyer uses local contractors, the funding will all be moved into Marquette County, and that’s a good thing for the community.”

The rehabilitation project will focus on safety, Erbisch said.

“Safe and reliable air travel is critical to keeping communities across the (Upper Peninsula) connected to important markets and destinations, not only during this pandemic but in the years ahead,” Peters said in the announcement.