SPARTA, Ky. - The state’s 58^th airport is a step closer to being completed.

Gov. Matt Bevin joined federal, state and local officials to break ground on the Gallatin County Airport in Sparta. The $26 million airport will be the first local airport on the Interstate 71 corridor from Louisville to Cincinnati.

The airport will be built with the help of a $9 million federal grant and officials hope the airport could help Kentucky Speedway host more races.

“It will affect the speedway and it will open up greater opportunity and greater potential for that to be developed,” Bevin said. “For that incredible investment that’s already been made to be maximized, I would like to ultimately have more than one race a year there, to have other things happening there, to have other things building up around there.”

While the airport will mostly serve personal planes, Bevin says it will help the region grow economically.

“You have six counties that are directly connected along this I-71 corridor this is the first and only airport that will exist between CVG and Louisville,” Bevin said. “It will be first class airport. It will open up this who region to economic development.”

Officials have been working on securing this airport since 2004 but the region will not have to wait as long to see the project completed. Construction will be completed in three phases and is expected to be completed by 2022.

It’s estimated 30-50 aircrafts will be based at the airport hangar with about 13,000 take-offs expected each year.

The airport will also feature an access road and connector to exit 55 off I-71 to allow easier transportation from the airport.