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4-2226
FEDERAL WO:i.u(S AG1'1JCY
WORK PROJECTS ADlHRISTRATIOlif
For Release
Sunday , April 13, 1941
I .
I
WPA RUSHES AIR?O:g_T DEVELOPiv!ENT
Howard
o.
O}J
350 CERTI:E'IEL DEFENSE SI'i'ES
Hunter, Acting Com:nissioner of Wo r k P r ojec ts ,
t oday r er,;orted extension o f t he WPA a irpo rt c onstr u ction :program
to include $150 , 000 , 000 worth of p roj ect s Bt 350 sites certified
by t he Wn r and Navy De o:=i,rtments a s i mpo rt;.m t to the nation 1 s
defense .
With add itiona l pr oj e cts swelling t he }:) r ogr air, almos t
da ily, Mr . Hunter said , t he nnmber of cE'rtified si t es whe r e iv'PA is
building , enlarging or otherwise i mproving ai. r port s durinG t he
current fiscal year will app roach t he 400 mark .
Sixty thousand WPA worke r s were r u_3hi ng constr 1J.ction on
248 certified sites as of Febr uar y 20.
Proj 8ct s had Deen apr roved
for 88 other certified s it es on that date .
At eight others ,
projects had r ecently been c ompl eted .
The defense a.irl)ort program includes mili tar~~ and nava l
fiel d s a nd c ivilian fi e l ds wl1ich hav e been s:necifically designn ted
as i mportan t to the country 1 s ex-_pancling ai r forces .
'l'he:r provide a
pattern of fields along tho seacoasts o.nrl tore. e rr of t he country
s:
with strat egic concentrations i n t he corners .
Expansion of WPA airport .:i.ctivi t ;cr is illus tr2,tod by the
r a t e of p r oje ct approvn.1 1; , which h2.s been fou r times as g r or,. t since
the def ense :prcpc:.redness program o ogan l as t summer as durir1g t he
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NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
4-2226
- 2 -
fiscal year ended last June .
The work authorized covers every
asi:·ect of airport facilities, from gradin6 of fields and po, ving
of runways to construction of buildings anc:c instr.llation of
utilities and field lighting.
11
Al though onl;:,r a f ew months have passed since the
Secretaries of Wc.r and Navy designated the sites where their n.ir
corps desire new or improved fields, the WPA airport program now
covers the .£;reater po.rt of them , 11 Mr . Hunter said.
11
The :prelimina ry
planr.ing has been done with 0xtraorclinary ~peed tb rough tho coo p err·.tion of tho local government s:ponsors , th e Army and t he Navy and
the Civil Aeronautics Administration .
11 :Recognizing
the urgency of the situation with a doubling
and redoublin6 in the number of .Amcric:.1,n planes , loce,l governments
have r ead ily submitted projects outlined by tho nrmod forces , and
the WPA has shortened the time req_uir ed before Presidcn tial ap3)ro val
and the beginning of work .
The CAA , moreover , r ocm tly provided
nearly $10 , 000 , 000 to assist at 86 of the certified sitos whe re
additional funds were needed .
"Fina lly , 11 Mr . Hunter said ,
11
the WPA is incr easing tho
work week of its employees on airport and other certified defense
construction projects , wherever early com-r.le tio:n is essential .
Crows
previously working 30 and in some cases 40 hours , a re now working
48 hours a week where nccessary. 11
The program carries forward , at a multiplied r::i.te , WPA
airport construction and improvement .operations which h:we re.:1ched
750 sepo,ratc sites in five and one- h,1.lf yeo.rs .
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NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
WPA has provided more
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NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
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4-2226
- 3 than 200 new l anding fields nnd enlarged or other\•;isc improved
several hu.ndred others , the greater number of which are in actual
or projected use by the a rmed forces or in connection with airplane production and pilot training .
More than 400 miles of new
runways , e.lone , have been c onstructed .
Represe::i ting the 1mF: of all a.ir1)o rt construction work
durb.g t he 3)eri od , the completed work accounted. for $250 , 000 , 000 in
expenditure by WPA and sponsors .
Under the current defense prograr,11 i n New En:;land alone
work is under way or will stnrt shortly on 44 8.irports , 17 of them
in Maine and 11 in Massachusetts .
Florida has 45 sites , California
33, Oregon 16 , Texas 16 , Washington State 12 , and New York ll .
The :program calls for expenditures , in WPA and s:ponsors 1
funds , of $13 , 681 , 000 in Floricla , $11 , 814 , 000 in California ,
$8 , 929 , 000 in Haine , $7 , 981, 000 in Pennsylvania , $7 ,138 , 000 in
Washington State , $6 ,791 , 000 in Il linois , $4 , 922 , 000 i n the Dist rict
of Columbia , $4 , 618,000 in Ala1:,ama , $tk, 138,000 b
Color.'.ldo ,
$4 ,ll7 , 000 in New York, $4 , 039 , 000 in Texas and $4,004 , 000 in New
Jersey.
The l argest allocntions of WPA funds in the current pro gram ,
by sites , include:
Scott Field (Army ), Belleville , Ill, $3 , 147 , 000 ;
Philadelphia Municipal Airport , $2 , 212 , 000 ; Lowry Field (Army) ,
Denver , $2 , 116 , 000 ; Snohomish County Airport , Wash ., $2 , 084 , 000 ;
Dos Moines City Airport , $1 , 656 1 000 ; Baltimore Municipal Airport ,
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NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
4-2226
- 4 $1 , 542 , 000 ; Stout Fi eld (National Guard ), Indianapolis, $1 , 212 , 000 ;
McDill Field. (Army), Tampa , Fla., $1 , 159 , 000 ; St . Paul Municipal
Airport, $1 , 115,000 ; Naval Air Station , Jacks0nville , Fla .,
$1 , 105 , 000 ; Ohio County Airport , Wheeling ,
w.
Va ., $1 , 083 , 000 ; City
Airport , Albany , Ga.• , $1 , 079 , 000 ; Cn.ribou Municipal Air!)ort , Me .,
$1 , 022 , 000 .
(Attached are tables summ2,rizing , by States , the current
program
Etnd
:previous WPA ai r po rt co ns tructio n .)
- - - - 0 - - - -
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NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
4'>2236
ESTIMATED COST OF WPA .AIRPORT AND AIRWAY PROJECTS .APPROVED BY THE PRESIDEJJT FOR
OPERATION A.lill CERTIFI ED AS :BEING IlvlPORTA:JT FOR MILITARY OR NAVAL PURPOSES ,1/ BY STATE
===============.A==s=__oj Feg_r u ~ . J 9·11
Estiml'. ted
Cost from
r
Numbe
WPA and
of
WPA Region and State
Snonsor 1 s
Air?ort
- - -- - -- - - - - - - - -- - -- ----------=S-=i--=-t=e=s_______~Fu=n=i=s.........2+-/_
GRAND TOT~·i.1
CONTINENT.AL UNITED STATES
REGION I
Connecticut
Maine
Massachusetts
New Hampshi r e
Rhode I sland
Vermont
244
328
$ 147 , 9~5 . 202
44
17 , 437 , 696
2 , 860 , 689
8 , 929 , 195
3 , 25 2 , 066
1 , 508 , 417
394 , 011
473 , 318
8
17
' 11
4
1
3
REGION II
Delaware
Distr ict of Columbia
Maryland
New Jersey
New York - Total
New York City
Jfow York (Exel . NYC )
P enr s :·l vo,nio.
~:i.EGI OH I II
23 , 616 , 183
4
3
7
11
1
10
8
80
r : c::--ic-:.a
45
(; ,~- : : ·:ia
8
3
8
7
J-; >; ·· 1.c.ky
1::- ;;~, Ca rolina
~~ ,,!·-.-::ii Ca rolina
1
Vi ·-·t-·J.nia
R:.;;GION I V
Il,inois
Iowa
Kansas
Minnesota
Nebra ska
North Dakota
South Dakota
Wisconsin
REGIOlJ VI
.Alabama
3
4
4
2
4
3
4
40
9
1
5
4
5
16
REGI ON" VII
12
2
F..EGION VIII
.Arizona
California - Total
Northern California
South8rn California
Nevada.
Oregon
TERRI T0;1.IES
:S:D.wflii
16 , 891,122
4 , 617 , 847
552 , 989
3 , 201 , 805
2 , 369 , 063
2 , 110,975
4 , 038 , 503
~
3
3
6
3
2
lfoatana
lfow M'3x i co
Utah
Washincton
Wyoming
2 , 04~., · . 9
67 ~ ; :_, )1
l', "" ' -~<·S
1 , 95 i:. · ·, -: /,3
2..1
I daho
2 , 34Ll-,( :::1
15 . o~r:~ '.t.~
6 , 79C; ··rs
1 , 34'/, 5()5
1 , 553 , 293
564 , 924
2 , 078 , 498
2 , 762 , 599
9 , 819 , 918.
2 , 334 , 025
245 , 071
2 , 357 , 920
812 , 63C
888 , 677
1 77 , 260
2 , 394 , 395
REGION V
Colorado
1 3 , 680 , '"~<)
3 , 98 b, '<• 7
8
Michigan
Missouri
Ohio
West Virginia
Louisiana
MisRis s ippi
N:lahoma
'Iexas
4 , 922,254
2 , 591 , 671
4 , 003 , 948
4 , 117 , 379
212 , 862
3 , 904 , 457
7 , 980 , 991
24 , 862 , 6? 1
22
3
2
8
2
5
2
I mliana
141. 663 , 688
53
1
33
20
13
3
16
16
7
6
4 , 138 , 397
300 , 553
810 , 398
946,548
1 , 569 , 314
7, 137 , 591
259 , 768 .'
1 8 , 775 , 858
803 , 861
11 , 834 , 330
5 , 884 , 9~8
5 , 949 , 332
E50 , 145
5 , 487,522
6 , 271,514
2,149 , 842
3 , 343,221
P-,.1erto F.ico
Virgin Isl"..nds
778 , 4::1
3
1./ Certifiei b:" the Secret~trY nf Knr er t~ie Secreta.ry of tlie Uavy .
2./ Incluu.es \','P.A. fur.ds alloc2tei for :'."'roj e cts o-oern.tc-i b:r other Federal agencies
but does not i:i:,~ f f bfederal Atc;ency funds for s.1 ch :::-roj~r'n}h?al from
NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
4-2226
lHJ?.ffiER OF SITES AND AMOUNT OF EXPE:t-."'I)ITURES , AIP..PORT ~'ID AIRWAY PROJECTS
OPERATED BY Th"'F. WORK FROJECTS .DMilHSTRATION
Cumulative Through Decembe .· 31 , 1910
WPA Region
and State
GRAND TOTAL
CONTINE:JTAL WITED STATES
Region I - To tal
Connecticut
Maine
Massachusett s
New Hampshire
Rhode Island
Ve rmon t
Region II - Tota l
Del/1\ware
Dist r i ct of Columbia
!v1a,r yland
New Jer se y
New Yo r k - Total
New York City
Kew York(Excl. NYC)
Penns;ylvania
Regi on III - Total
Florida
Georgia
Ker.tucky
North C'1r olina
S~uth Caroli na
Tcnnsss2e
Virgin ia
Re c;_ on IV - Tota l
l '~ l inoi s
T tC. iana
i' '. : ~l: i 6a n
t . ·. $0Uri
C ·. o
WPA and
Number of
Site
Air"Q.Ql:} -=-=--=--:___.---'"'S'"":;2..oonsors ! . Funds.A£
$ 240 , 063 ,737
74_( :
239, 076,053
72:,
12,668, 08 7
5<•.
2 , 877,8 89
!
2,253,900
l!
11 ·
6,070, 696
{,
996,221
210,718
''
258,663
94,?05,880
7!:
..
..
..
4, 071,915
1,148,263
6, 461,766
64,227,549
56,328,578
7, 898 , S/ 71
18, 396 , ~8 7
24,9F9,J.69
9 , 635 , 374
2,::508, 650
639,?74
2,7 34 , 475
2 ,702,042
5,295,904
1,652, 950
35,578 . 363
12,717,727
3,469, 958
4,016,788
2,372,901
9,874,4:17
3,126,572
14. 767 l ~.f3
2 , 245, ~JJ 3
2,492 , 013
:.\ 676 , 764
2, 028,.283
565, 318
935, 394
2,8 22, 462
11, 779 . '1 0 0
4 , 255 , 660
781, 59 8
1,1 22 , 55 4
1, 849 , 913
938,414
2,831, ?.6 1
16,984 , 860
3,816,397
959,554
1, 257 ,109
1 ,052,120
2,758,446
6,734,082
347,142
28 , 082 , 84 1
568,232
)
-1
1 ·t
gi
3
25
33
151 l
6• l
2:~
,1:
lf-
H.
11
l?
122
10
14
65
9
16
8
65
'·•<", ·_; t Virginia
Re_-) .,:,_•_ V - Total
5
11
12
7
K·.t: 18'3, S
r.; Li .' ~s ota
:K.:-·- :·a.ska
Ne :·L·-t Dalcota
Sc, .,t11 Dako ta
5
11
13
105
WL.(cn sin
Re g:::, .· VI - Total
A.!.<, :,aTTJ.a
?.4
9
A r ·1:2.asa s
1 0~1.i. siana
Miss issip~i
11
24
8
Oklahoma
~exas
k~~ion VII - Total
29
87
10
6
20
6
~olo r ado
:daho
M0ntana
New Me xico
Utah
Washing ton
9
27
9
65
4
39
5
17
15
Wyoming
Region VIII - Total
Arizona
23,342,381
California
178,070
Nevada
3 , 994,158
Oregon
855,516
Hawaii
132 lh8
8
Puqrto Rico
Y Includes data for off the site work covering Such it ems as sewer and wate r lines
and roadways vital to the ope r ation of the airports, and aeronautical surveys.
FED~RAL ~OR.KS AGENCY
WORK PROJECTS ADMINISTRATION
Division of Statistics
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NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
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@FedFRASER