Duluth International Airport in Minnesota is moving ahead with construction of a new 143-foot air traffic control tower to replace its 70-year-old facility, which the Duluth Airport Authority says is the third-oldest operating tower in the U.S. The authority held an open house Wednesday to brief community members, nearby residents and airport stakeholders on the project.
“Our new tower will tack on about 90 feet in height, so we’ll have a much better line of sight for our runways,” Duluth Airport Authority Communications Manager Natalie Baker told Northern News Now. “It’ll be larger and it’ll just greatly improve working conditions as well as energy efficiencies as well.”
The existing tower will remain in service while the replacement is built, with the new tower expected to be operational in May 2028. Construction is expected to take about 20 months and the total project cost is estimated at $72 million. The project received a $20 million U.S. Department of Transportation grant in November, following earlier federal and state funding for the tower replacement.
The tower at the last airport i used had to be almost as old. I swear i was going back into the time of the cold war and the fall out shelter stickers. It too couldn’t see the whole runway layout either. But we weren’t getting any funding for that. Nor a runway improvement. Which both are definitely needed…