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Sep. 1--Earth-moving equipment rumbled in the background this afternoon even as U.S. Rep. Jim Oberstar prepared to heft a golden shovelful of dirt at a ceremonial groundbreaking for Duluth International Airport's new terminal building.

Oberstar, D-Minn., and others have done a lot of heavy lifting to bring the project to fruition, according to Nancy Norr, chairwoman of the Duluth Airport Authority.

"This project has been six years in the making," she said.

Already, the project has led to the creation of more than 200 construction jobs, as workers grade the site, install utilities and other infrastructure, build roadways and pave parking areas. This initial work, plus the completion of detailed building plans, is expected to consume about $10.2 million.

The total cost of the project is expected to be about $65 million, and to leverage federal funding, the Duluth Airport Authority will seek an additional $11.7 million in state bonding money next year.

State Reps. Mary Murphy, DFL-Hermantown, and Roger Reinert, DFL-Duluth, pledged their continued support for the terminal.

"We are committed to any project that helps make Duluth a hub for transportation and helps provide jobs, jobs, jobs, as Gov. Perpich used to say," Murphy quipped.

If funding continues to flow to the project, the new terminal could be completed by 2012 or 2013.