HUNTINGTON -- Now that Tri-State Airport sees thousands more passengers coming and going every year, it has some new challenges, parking being the biggest.

The airport's passenger traffic increased 62 percent from 2006 to 2007, according to data released by the Tri-State Airport Authority. Much of the success, Airport Director Larry Salyers has said, can be attributed to Allegiant Air service's Florida destinations.

To determine what it would take to accommodate the increase in vehicles at the airport, the Kyova Interstate Planning Commission has hired an engineering consulting firm to look at the feasibility of an intermodal facility. Meanwhile, local business representatives from Huntington, Ashland and Lawrence County, Ohio, visited Washington this month to jointly lobby for federal support.

"It's a very exciting opportunity," said Michele Craig, executive director of the planning commission. "It's an incredibly good problem to have, but we need to act quickly so people using the airport don't become frustrated with the parking situation."

The study is going to look at what's happening now at the airport, as far as vehicles and freight coming and going, Craig said. A separate building would be constructed for freight, but current freight activity at the airport will be looked at in this study, she said.

"The center itself will be viewed as one that will handle taxis, buses, automobiles and motor coaches for tours," she said. "We're also looking at, very importantly, handicap accessibility."

The airport is used by travelers to and from West Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky, so it's in the interest of all three states to work toward solutions, said Jim Booten, president of the Airport Authority and chairman of the planning commission.

The $100,000 feasibility study is funded through the planning commission with contributions from the Huntington Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Lawrence County Area Chamber of Commerce and the Ashland Alliance.

In fact, representatives from those three bodies -- which have joined for lobbying purposes to form a Tri-State Chamber -- visited Washington this month to talk with government officials about the need for an intermodal center at Tri-State Airport.

Mark Bugher of Huntington, Bill Dingus of Lawrence County and Jim Purgerson of Ashland visited with U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall, D-W.Va.; Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va.; Rep. Charles Wilson, D-Ohio; and U.S. Rep. Geoff Davis, R-Ky. The also met with representatives from the offices of Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., and George Voinovich, R-Ohio.

Representatives from Rockefeller's office said that according to passenger statistics, Tri-State Airport is the fastest-growing airport in the country, Bugher said.

Funding for an intermodal center will take several sources, which could include federal transportation dollars and federal aviation dollars, he said, so it's important to have a strong lobby with the three states working together. It's one thing for each chamber leader to visit the federal officials from their respective states, but it's totally different to get all their attention at once, Bugher said.

"These other congressmen are also on board, and this project takes on a lot more strength now that we have that support," he said. "Partnerships like this (among the Tri-State agencies) are just critical. They attract attention."

The feasibility study is intended to determine travel demand, traffic flow, the size and number of spaces required and the configuration of space needed to accommodate cars, buses, taxis and tour buses. There will be a site evaluation to determine where it would be located. And a financial strategy is to be included in the project, which has a completion goal of spring 2009.

In the meantime, the airport has recently come up with an alternate solution for parking, by grading away some of the hillside to add more spaces, Craig said.