Two federal grants will be used to design the Williams Road realignment and the pavement rehabilitation of the taxi lane at Coastal Carolina Regional Airport (EWN).
The Craven County Board of Commissioners accepted two Federal Aviation Administration design grants for the Coastal Carolina Regional Airport Authority during their meeting on July 20, 2026, in the County Administration Building in New Bern, NC.
The Coastal Carolina Regional Airport Authority applied for two Federal Aviation Administration design grants. Airport Director Andrew Shorter told the commissioners that one FAA grant for $828,509 (total federal share) will be used to design the pavement rehabilitation of the taxi lane and to design the Williams Road realignment ($321,509 for the pavement rehab and $507,000 for the Williams Rd. design). The total cost of design work (federal, state and airport funds) is $1,397,515, according to the presentation.
Director Shorter later told NewBernNow.com that the total cost of the Williams Road design project is more, but other funding has been allocated from the state to cover the costs.
He said the FAA is going to buy in on the design of the road so as they move forward with the runway extension, “it’s kind of in their programming now.” The FAA has approved funding for two portions of the design process to improve the runway 22 safety area, which includes re-aligning Williams Rd. He said, “The funding to construct the improvements is programmed in the EWN FAA Airport Capital Improvement Program, but funding is only made available one year at a time. So that is why I say they have some ‘buy-in’ to complete the project because they have help to fund a couple of portions thus far. Kind of a fine point to try to explain succinctly…”
He also noted a chart from their environmental design plan from NCDOT shows a small bridge for Scotts Creek.
The FAA’s Airport Improvement Grant in the amount of $1,345,745 will be used for their corporate aerospace development area. Andrew Shorter said they cleared and leased 55 acres in four phases. Work in the Phase 1 and 2 area includes “a connecting taxi lane and a large concrete apron about 18 inches thick for aircraft up to medium sized, narrow body, commercial aircraft.” He pointed to a slide that showed an aircraft silhouette of a 737 which provides a size estimate of the area. The apron is about 3 acres with 18 inches of concrete.
It will cost $4,534,402 to construct the taxi lane and the federal share for FY 2025 is $1,818,298 and FY 2026 is $1,345,745. The local match/other funds are $1,370,359.
He noted $15.7 million has been invested to clear the land, put in a road, and add power, sewer, and water and Jeff (Wood) and the (Economic Development) team is working on helping the lessee find companies to go on the 55-acre property. He also said he thought the hangars could be about 60,000 square feet.
He said the Airport Authority is working on 15 projects with about 25 different funding streams.
The Craven County Board of Commissioners — Tim Mason (District 1), Jason Jones (District 2), Etteinne “ET” Mitchell (District 4), Chadwick Howard (District 6), and Denny Bucher (District 7) — approved a motion to accept and authorize Chairman Bucher and staff to sign necessary documentation to accept two FFA grants. Beatrice Smith (District 3) and Shevel “Sherry” Hunt (District 5).
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The Federal Aviation Administration has selected North Carolina to be part of the Advanced Air Mobility and Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing Integration Pilot Program. We asked Andrew Shorter if the Coastal Carolina Regional Airport Authority is participating in or planning to participate in the program and he said, “No, they have a very specific plan for that program, and it does not involve EWN.”
By Wendy Card, editor. Send an email with questions or comments.