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PHARR, Texas - Steve Valdez executive director of Weslaco Economic Development Corporation, says plans are being developed to bury a canal so that the runway of Mid-Valley Airport can be extended by 1,000 feet.

According to Weslaco Mid-Valley Airport website, the airport currently has a 6,000 x 80 foot lighted runway.

Valdez announced the plans when he spoke at IWS2, the industrial warehouse summit hosted by Pharr Bridge Board and held at Pharr Development and Research Center.\\xa0

The theme for the summit was, \\u201cBuilding a Competitive Border Region for Near-Shoring and Industrial Growth.\\u201d

Valdez said: \\u201cWe have a what we believe is the fourth largest airport (in the Rio Grande Valley), behind Harlingen, McAllen and Brownsville. Recently we were awarded with a $5.7 million grant for additional hangars. We just finished about six hangars and so we seem to be growing in terms of the airport.\\u201d

Valdez then pointed to a slide in a powerpoint presentation.

\\u201cIf you can see it\\u2026 at the very top of the airport there's a canal and the City is looking at ways to cross that canal. Bury the canal process so that you can extend another 1,000 feet for our airport runway.\\u201d

Leaders from across Hidalgo County recently attended a press conference to hear the announcement of the $5.7 million grant. Valdez said that the press conference.

\\u201cDuring the announcement of the $5.7 million we went to the Payne Auto Group hangar, a 10,000 square foot hangar that sits about six airplanes, a beautiful location,\\u201d Valdez said at IWS2.

\\u201cIf you get a chance to stop by there at some point, it is a really nice expansion to our airport. On site (customs) inspections, as you can see. Within one hour, if you call ahead of time, you could have Customs Border Protection be there as well for your inspections.\\u201d

The grant for the new hangars came from state and federal resources. State lawmakers appropriated $5 million with Hidalgo County adding $750,000 from its American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.

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