arizona airport to see construction of new air traffic control tower

An airport whose origins date back to World War II, when it was used for fighter pilot training, will soon see the construction of a modern air traffic control tower.

Officials with the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport say the tower is expected to cost around $30 million to build and will not only be taller than the current tower but wider.

The current tower, which dates to the early 1970s, is 9 stories in height. The new tower will 16 stories high with roughly 550 square feet of work space.

The project has now taken a significant step forward with a grant of $13.7 million from the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Improvement Program.

Additional funding is expected to come from the airport’s own funds, as well as from the State of Arizona.

Airport officials say the new tower, upon completion, will allow for a vital and sweeping view of the airport’s entire 3,000-acre site.

Work is expected to begin on the project in September, with an early 2022 completion date.

Located at 5835 S. Sossaman Road, roughly 20 miles to the southeast of Phoenix, the airport was formerly known as the Williams Air Force Base.
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In a statement, Arizona Congressman Greg Stanton described the long hoped-for new tower as a  “critical addition to help the airport keep pace with our region’s growth.”

​By Garry Boulard

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