KANNAPOLIS — The Mid-Carolina Regional Airport is eyeing an expansion to the west side of the airfield. A project that would add a new taxiway on that side was put up for support at the Cabarrus-Rowan Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Transportation Advisory Committee meeting on Wednesday.

According to the request for the project to be added to the CRMPO list of endorsed projects, the new taxiway comes as a way for the airport to prepare for future growth. The recent hangar expansions have filled up all of the potential for development on the eastern side of the airfield. Any future developments will have to take place on the western side, and the taxiway project would allow the airport to move in that direction according to the proposal.

The new taxiway is projected to cost $17 million and avenues for funding have yet to be decided. The project will include environmental assessment, design, bidding and construction phases.

The next step for the proposal is for it to go in front of the North Carolina Department of Transportation for review.

According to the proposal, the project has been discussed with the Airport Advisory Board, the Rowan County Board of Commissioners, Rep. Harry Warren and Sen. Carl Ford and has received support for the idea from all of them.