PORTLAND, Maine (AP) The federal government is providing nearly $4.5 million for improvements at Maine’s largest airport.

Republican Sen. Susan Collins says the Portland International Jetport has been awarded the money to construct a taxiway to provide runway access. The money is from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Airport Improvement Program.

Collins said the airport is “an important gateway that connects our state to the rest of the world and supports economic growth and job creation.”