PTI One Of Two NC Airports Getting Major FAA Investment

The Piedmont Triad International Airport is getting a major boost from the Federal Aviation Administration.  As a result, a new air traffic control tower is being constructed.

A groundbreaking was held this week for the new air traffic control tower at PTI Airport. It will be roughly double the size of the existing one built in the early 1970s. This new tower will soar at 180 feet.

The total cost of the project is $61 million. It includes construction of a base building that will house Terminal Radar Approach Control - also known as TRACON. It's technology that's usually found in larger cities. 

Michael O'Harra is the regional administrator for the FAA's Southern Region. He says it could provide more opportunities for expansion and job growth at the site.

“North Carolina is the only state in the country where we are building two new FAA control towers. That's driven by the amount of activity in the state,” says O'Harra. “So this new control tower with that improved vantage point allows potentially more of the airfield to be developed.”

The other tower that's under construction is at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport.

The Guilford County project is expected to be completed in 2022.

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