FRANKLIN TWP, Beaver County — The expansion project for the Zelienople Municipal Airport will move forward soon with funding and a pending permit.

The Zelienople Airport Authority received a $2.24 million grant to realign a portion of Route 288 in Beaver County.

“It’s all good news,” said airport manager Dave Holman. “It (Route 288) is an obstruction to the airport.”

Holman said there was no set time for work on the realignment.

“I don’t have any confirmation from government agencies as to when it is available or what the requirements are,” he said.

The realignment will aim to make room for the airport’s runway expansion project set to take place in 2018.

The airport covers about 240 acres in Franklin Township, Beaver County, just outside of Zelienople.

Traffic will be “largely unaffected” during construction and Route 288 will remain open through most of the process, according to a news release from state Rep. Jaret Gibbons, D-10th.

Holman said while the highway will not be closed during the realignment, motorists might face stop-and-go conditions. He said this is according to preliminary engineering for the project.

The airport also is waiting on a permit from the state Department of Environmental Protection to begin work on wetlands south of Route 288.

The airport this summer finalized the purchase of 32 acres of wetlands previously owned by the state Fish and Boat Commission.

An education center and trails are planned for the wetland area west of the airport, a safe distance from the airport’s runway. Work could begin as soon as this fall if the permit is approved.

“There won’t be any construction starting anywhere until the DEP permits first,” Holman said.

However, he also said work could go through winter if conditions are mild enough.

The wetlands portion of the project will not affect the site of nearby Hereford Manor Lakes, airport and state officials said.

The airport partnered with the Beaver County Conservation District for this part of the project.

The expansion is expected to create about 40 jobs and retain a total of 60 jobs, Holman said.

Along with the runway expansion, old hangars will be demolished, new hangars will be built and the airport will increase its jet services.

The Airport Authority also received $375,000 in grant money earlier this year to build a new fueling facility for jets and will look at other grants and funding resources for the expansion.