Phoenix Airport Gets Big Money for Big Project

Construction could begin sometime next year on the building of a long-planned 2,000-foot taxiway at the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

The airport is receiving up to $194 million in federal funds for the project made available through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

Altogether, the project is expected to cost around $260 million, with the rest of the funding coming out of the airport’s passenger facilities charges.

Earlier this spring, the project was given a green light by the Phoenix City Council.

In announcing the federal funding, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego said the new taxiway will make it possible for planes to both land and take off more quickly, contributing to a better aircraft flow.

Gallego added that the runway will also come in handy during storms: “Having a bigger, better tarmac will allow us to adapt and have more ability to keep planes flying.”

Located at 3400 E. Sky Harbor Boulevard some three miles to the east of downtown Phoenix, the Phoenix airport was opened in 1928 and is the eighth-busiest airport in the country. Airport officials say passenger traffic has jumped by 20% since August of 2021.

Responding to that growth, the airport recently saw the completion of the final concourse at Terminal 4, a $310 million project providing an abundance of new retail space, as well as a 24,000 square foot transfer bridge.
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Preliminary planning for the taxiway project is already underway. An exact timetable for its construction has not yet been revealed.

​By Garry Boulard

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