Griffin Mayor Doug Hollberg; Congressman Brian Jack; Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones; US DOT Under Secretary Ryan McCormack; Spalding County Commission Chairman Clay Davis; GDOT Commissioner Russell McMurry; Griffin-Spalding Airport Authority Chair Dr. Randall Peters; and Croy CEO Gregory D. Teague, PE break ground on the replacement airport
Local, state, and even federal officials braved the rain last week to celebrate the groundbreaking of the Griffin-Spalding Regional Airport, the first new airport to be built in Georgia since 2008.
Getting the airport ‘off the ground’ took some heavy lifting from individuals on all three of those levels, with $47.2 million in funding for the airport included in the state’s 2024 supplemental budget, another $40 million from the FAA, and $8.4 million that then-Rep. Drew Ferguson had added to a federal transportation bill for the airport in 2024.
Speakers (and shovelers) included Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who was instrumental in securing state funding for the project, and said a new airport was necessary to serve this part of the state.
“We’re the last area in the state that is underserved as far as aviation is concerned,” Jones said. “I said it would make it an easier serve to get other counties in the area involved. We got Pike, Monroe, Lamar, Butts and Spalding and were able to get $47.5 million in the 2024 supplemental budget. This was a team effort.”
The airport, expected to be completed by 2030, will serve some 160,000 Georgians along the I-75 corridor between Atlanta and Macon. It will replace the existing Griffin–Spalding County Airport, which was built in 1939 and only has a 3,700 foot runway. The replacement airport will have a 5,000-foot runway, allowing it to host larger planes and greatly increase capacity in the region.
U.S. Department of Transportation Under Secretary Ryan McCormack, who serves as the point man for President Donald Trump in the US DOT, said the new airport is another example of a “big and beautiful” investment in infrastructure.
“Today’s groundbreaking is a major milestone right here in Griffin. We’re taking a new runway with a parallel taxiway, a new parking area, and a new terminal. That’s real growth with lots of opportunity,” he said. “At US DOT, we’re proud to support your efforts. I know it’s literally been decades in the making, and you should all be proud of what you accomplished. We’re proud to be part of this unique partnership.”
Engineering firm Croy is serving as the lead consultant on the airport’s development, and CEO Greg Teague was on hand as well to mark the official start of another major project for his company. “We are honored to be a part of this transformative project that will bring future economic development to the region,” said Teague. “This airport is a perfect example of how strong internal and external collaboration brings a project of this scale from concept to construction.”
