USDOT Announces $835.8 Million for Air Traffic Control Facility Upgrades Across the U.S.

The U.S. Department of Transportation has announced a major investment to modernize air traffic control infrastructure across the United States, with $835.8 million allocated for facility replacements and tower upgrades.

More than $750 million will be used to replace eight air traffic control towers and Terminal Radar Approach Controls, known as TRACONs, with new facilities. The Federal Aviation Administration will also provide $85.8 million to upgrade Federal Contract Towers at 41 airports across 24 states.

According to the USDOT, the replacement sites were selected based on the safety and operational needs of the national airspace system. Many of the existing facilities have been in use for decades, with issues such as outdated HVAC systems, leaking roofs, pest problems, and other infrastructure failures affecting operations.

The FAA will replace facilities in Charleston, South Carolina; Grand Forks, North Dakota; Greer, South Carolina; Lawton, Oklahoma; Pocatello, Idaho; Sacramento, California; San Jose, California; and Tamiami, Florida.

The investment also includes funding through the Federal Contract Tower Grant Program, which supports improvements at towers staffed by contract personnel rather than FAA employees. The program provides $20 million annually over five years for modernization work, infrastructure improvements, and new air traffic control and communications equipment.

Projects already identified include $915,000 for facility improvements at Acadiana Regional Airport, $800,000 for design work on a new sponsor-owned Federal Contract Tower at Marana Regional Airport, $1 million for infrastructure modernization at Missoula County Airport Authority, and $10 million for a new sponsor-owned tower at Wiley Post Airport.

The modernization work is expected to include upgrades such as new windows, heating and cooling systems, elevators, roof replacements, and the replacement of outdated tower equipment, including radios, automated voice recorders, and airport lighting controls. The new towers will also support the broader national effort to build a modernized U.S. air traffic control system.

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