The Hibbing-Chisholm Airport has been awarded $4.4 million in economic recovery funding to rehabilitate one of its runways.

The American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 includes $1.1 billion for the Federal Aviation Administration to make discretionary grants for airport improvements.

"This is precisely the type of project that we intended to fund with the economic recovery act.  It creates jobs in the short term and provides the region with an improved transportation infrastructure that will stimulate long-term growth and economic development," explained Rep. Jim Oberstar.

As chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Oberstar says he will keep a close watch on how recovery dollars that fall under the jurisdiction of his committee are spent. 

Oberstar’s committee will hold its first follow-up hearing in April to look at how the recovery money is being spent; subsequent hearings will be held every 30 days.