The Troy City Council Monday approved a $253,000 project to enhance runway safety at the Troy Municipal Airport for just a fraction of the price.

The project consists of taking out chunks of the runway asphalt that has been worn down, causing potential confusion for pilots in where they are supposed to taxi.

“This will enhance the safety at the airfield,” said Al Allenback, vice president of airport planning and engineering at Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood. “Right now it’s not well defined.”

Allenback said that in addition to increasing safety, the project will make the airport look more professional and will increase the odds of working with the FAA in the future.

“The FAA has been pushing for this for a long time,” Allenback said. “This will make it a lot easier to get other projects.”

The other project that the City is specifically looking to get deals with a cross-wind runway at the airport, which Allenback said is not currently federally funded. The hope, he said, is that this project will also lead the FAA to look favorably on granting that project in the future.

And the deal is worth it, Allenback said. The FAA will provide 90 percent of the costs with the Alabama Department of Transportation chipping in another 5 percent, enabling the city to get over $250,000 worth of repairs for just over $12,000.

“This is a great step forward,” said Mayor Jason Reeves. “(GMC) has done an excellent job. Our airport is as good an airport for a city our size as any in the country.”

Allenback said the project, once started, will take about five to six months but that the runway would not be closed for a significant portion of that time. No timeline is set yet for when the project will get underway.

The council also passed an ordinance redistricting the newly constructed District on Dozier apartment complex into District 3. The original division of the census block was at the utility line, according to officials, but the construction resulted in the block being split.

The council also awarded a bid for seven new police vehicles to Pike County Ford, the sole bidder, for $230,000. Police Chief Randall Barr said the new vehicles were needed to replace seven police cars ranging from 2009 to 2011 models.

The next meeting of the Troy City Council will be held Tuesday July 11. The executive committee will meet at 4 p.m. upstairs at City Hall and the council will meet in the City Council Chambers at 5 p.m.