New Tower at Palm Beach Int’l

The Federal Aviation Administration has awarded an $18.1 million contract to construct a new airport traffic control tower at Palm Beach International Airport in Florida. The new 231 foot-tall, stand-alone tower will be relocated from the south side of the airport to an area west of the airport terminal to provide controllers optimum visibility of the entire airfield. Current and future airport development has driven the need for a taller, larger tower to replace the existing 90-foot tower built in the early 1970s. Last year, Palm Beach Tower handled 190,463 takeoffs and landings. The new state-of-the-art facility will include a 550 square-foot tower cab, 200 square feet larger than the current facility. It will provide ample space for air traffic control operations and training, and will withstand high-level hurricane force winds. The new 9,000 square-foot base building will house administrative and training facilities and will offer improved security and air traffic training and simulation capabilities. Groundbreaking for the new facility could begin in late 2008 with commissioning in late 2011.