Smaller regional airports in Indiana, Missouri and Texas are among 29 receiving federal funding for control-tower modernization from the Biden-Harris administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
"Today’s announcement includes 33 grant awards at 29 airports for Fiscal Year 2023 as part of the FAA Contract Tower Competitive Grant program," the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) states in a March 31 news release. "These grants will sustain, construct, repair, improve, modernize, replace or relocate airport-owned towers and install communications equipment."
The grants will fund a range of projects, including runway and taxiway rehabilitation, construction of new terminal buildings and hangars, and the installation of advanced lighting and navigational systems, the release reports. The funding will also support efforts to reduce the environmental impact of airports, such as the purchase of electric ground support equipment and the installation of solar panels.
Columbus Municipal Airport in Indiana will receive $1.5 million for the construction of a new airport traffic control tower to improve visibility and better serve the growing general aviation airport, according to the release. Joplin Regional Airport in Missouri will receive $860,000 to replace the aging airfield lighting control and monitoring system, improving safety and tower operations. Tyler Pounds Regional Airport in Texas will receive $1.1 million to fund planning and preliminary design for relocating the existing tower, which has line of sight issues due to a new primary runway extension. The new location will also address safety standards and add ADA compliant accessibility features, the news release reports.
FAA Associate Administrator for Airports Shannetta Griffin said the grants allow airports to upgrade their air traffic control towers, which improves airport safety, creates good-paying jobs and supports local communities, according to the release.
“Airports aren’t just travel hubs, they are important job centers and economic engines—especially in smaller communities," U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in the news release. “We’re proud to deliver these investments, which will help us improve safety at airports and support local economies for decades to come.
