WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy has announced an additional $20 million to replace the aging air traffic control tower at Duluth International Airport - a major step toward delivering long-overdue safety and infrastructure upgrades in northern Minnesota.
The project, with an anticipated total cost of $66 million, will replace the existing tower with a modern facility designed to improve safety and efficiency at the airport. The FAA previously awarded $16.8 million in funds from the Airport Terminal Program.
'During my visit in August, I saw firsthand the critical need to replace Duluth's aging air traffic control tower - one of the oldest still used in the country,' said Secretary Duffy. 'This $20 million investment moves the project closer to construction and ensures controllers will have the modern equipment they need to keep air travel safe. This administration is delivering real results for communities like Duluth.'
The existing tower, built in the 1950s, is the third-oldest in the country. The new tower will be double the height of the existing one and give controllers improved sight lines to the airfield.
This new funding will allow Duluth to move forward with the project in a single construction?phase rather than two, saving more than $5 million by eliminating the need for phased work, the US Department of Transportation said in a press release.
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