Overview
- The DOT, which announced the plan Friday, will spend $835.8 million to replace eight air traffic control towers and improve 41 Federal Contract Towers.
- FAA officials chose projects to fix safety risks from failing HVAC systems, leaking roofs, and pest problems that have caused service disruptions.
- New towers are slated for Charleston and Greer in South Carolina, Grand Forks in North Dakota, Lawton in Oklahoma, Pocatello in Idaho, Sacramento and San Jose in California, and Tamiami in Florida.
- The 41 contract-tower upgrades include new windows, elevators, heating and cooling units, and equipment such as radios, voice recorders, and lighting controls, with an FCT grant program providing $20 million a year for five years.
- Each new tower will receive gear tied to the FAA’s Brand‑New ATC System, part of a broader modernization that still requires congressional funding for its software and AI phase.