The Duluth Airport has been awarded a $10M grant under the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Terminal Program. This is the fifth-largest funding amount granted for an air traffic control tower project in the country, this cycle.
The grant will be put toward the replacement of the nearly 70-year-old air traffic control tower located at Duluth International Airport. The project’s total cost is estimated to be $66M. The total amount requested from this federal funding source was $52M.
“We appreciate the support from our Congressional Delegation and the work of the entire legislative team in securing this highly competitive funding," said Tom Werner, Executive Director of the Duluth Airport Authority. "The grant is a great start, and we look forward to securing future grants to complete this project."
The ATP grant program was created through the Infrastructure Improvement and Jobs Act which established a federal funding source for locally owned air traffic control towers that previously did not exist.
Air commerce at DLH has grown exponentially since the tower was constructed. As it continues to grow, it is essential that air traffic control services have a modern facility from which to operate.
The Duluth Airport Authority will be requesting $14M in matching funds from the State of Minnesota again this legislative session.