Ground Broken on New Control Tower
In January, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and leaders from Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority broke ground on a new $61.5 million, state-of-the-art air traffic control facility. The new facility will enable Memphis' air traffic controllers to continue to provide excellent, safe and efficient service to passenger and cargo flights at Memphis International Airport and surrounding airports.
Construction began last month on the 336-foot control tower which will be topped by an 850 square-foot tower cab. The tower will be the third-tallest in the South. A 24,000 square-foot base building will house training rooms, administrative offices, and an expanded terminal radar approach control (TRACON). The facilities have been built with the future growth of the Airport and the surrounding area in mind. The control tower will be commissioned in 2011.
The existing control tower, which was commissioned in 1977, needs to be replaced due to significant air traffic growth over the past 30 years, combined with traffic density and complexity continuing to increase at Memphis International. Preliminary numbers show that in 2007 air traffic controllers at the Memphis Tower handled 376,528 operations (takeoffs and landings) and 443,403 instrument operations (overflights) making it the 21st busiest facility in the country.
Flintco, Inc. is the prime contractor for the project.
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Ground Breaking
Click to enlarge image.
L to R
Jim McGehee, Jr.
Chairman Emeritus
Airport Authority
Doug Murphy
FAA Regional Administrator
Southern Region
John W. Stokes, Jr.
Commissioner
Airport Authority
Arnold E. Perl
Chairman
Airport Authority
Jim J. Keras, Jr.
Commissioner
Airport Authority
Jim D. Etheridge
Commissioner
Airport Authority
Larry D. Cox
President & CEO
Airport Authority
William K. Wertz
District Manager, Terminal Services
Memphis District
FAA
Mike Brown
Manager - Memphis Systems Service Center
FAA
Bruce Johnson
Vice President, Air Traffic Organization
Terminal Operations
FAA
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February 2008