The Laurinburg-Maxton Airport will receive $2.7 million in state money, the state Department of Transportation announced Monday.

The money was awarded for the Maxton airbase to use to rehabilitate the airport’s primary taxiway. According to Jerry Higgins, DOT spokesman, portions of the existing concrete pavement serving the primary runway, which was built during World War II, will be replaced with new pavement.

The taxiway was rated as “failing” on the Division of Aviation’s Pavement Condition Index that looks at existing pavement conditions in order to make improvement recommendations based on safety and need.

“As part of the N.C. Department of Transportation’s ongoing commitment to improving aviation in North Carolina, the N.C. Division of Aviation awarded $2.7 million in State Aid to Airports funds to Maxton for a capital improvement project,” Higgins said in his statement.

The State Aid to Airports Program is NCDOT’s basic airport aid program. This program provides funds for the purpose of planning, acquiring, constructing or improving municipal, county and other publicly owned or controlled airports, and to authorize related programs of aviation safety, promotions and long-range planning.

Higgins said that since Gov. Bev Perdue took office in 2009, the Division of Aviation has awarded more than $150 million in funding to state airports. These funds enable airports across the state to provide improvements that support economic development and job opportunities.

Laurinburg-Maxton Airport has an approximate $42.8 million a year cumulative impact on North Carolina and supports more than 510 jobs, based on a 2012 statewide economic impact study.