A 12,683-square-foot base building houses a new
Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) that
provides radar service to flights within a
57-mile radius of the airport up to an altitude
of 10,000 feet.
The base building also accommodates
electronic equipment, administrative offices and
building support systems.
“This tower is a symbol of the FAA’s commitment
to aviation safety and to modernizing the air
traffic control system,” Huerta said. “Upgrading
our aviation infrastructure to support NextGen
will help to maintain the world’s largest and
safest aviation system.”
The new facility has the latest radar and
communications technology, as well as a
high-tech climate control system and was
constructed with energy-efficient materials to
reduce heating and ventilation costs.
The $20.5 million air traffic control tower was
funded through the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act (ARRA).
Construction began in December 2009, and
air traffic controllers began handling flights
from the new tower on Aug. 29, 2012.
NextGen is the transformation of the radar-based
air traffic control system of today to a
satellite-based system of the future. New
procedures and technologies will significantly
improve safety, capacity and efficiency, and
will reduce fuel burn, carbon emissions and
environmental impacts.
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