The sign at the Lake Placid Airport is seen on state Route 73. (Enterprise photo — Andy Flynn)

LAKE PLACID — The Lake Placid Airport has been awarded $1.8 million from the Federal Aviation Administration to repave its runway as the surface where all planes depart and arrive at the airport starts to show its age.

The Lake Placid Airport is owned by the town of North Elba.

Town Supervisor Derek Doty was surprised to hear about the grant award on Monday. He didn’t expect the grant to be awarded this soon. It was a last-minute grant application and the announcement came quickly.

The town is contracting with the C&S engineering firm to do the work, Doty said. He thinks the project can get done next summer.

The runway is not in dangerous condition — the town keeps up-to-date on maintenance there, Doty said.

“But there are cracks and crevices in it,” he added. “It needs work.”

Doty estimated that it’s been at least 15 years since the 4,200-foot-long runway was last repaved.

The $1,826,743 federal grant covers the “lion’s share” of the project, Doty said. The state will contribute to the project, too. The town will be responsible for a percentage of the project, somewhere between 5-10%. He’s looking into what percentage the town will pay.

The Lake Placid Airways scenic flight company operates out of the Lake Placid Airport.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-NY, and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-NY, announced the award through the FAA’s Airport Improvement Program on Monday.

Schumer said they “fought hard” for an increase in this program’s funding this year as Americans voice concerns about aviation safety.

“We need to ensure that Lake Placid Airport’s runways are as safe and strong as possible,” Schumer said in a statement.

“To boost aviation safety for North Country visitors and residents, we must ensure that the runway at Lake Placid Airport remains strong and safe during the winter months,” Gillibrand said in a statement.