Grand Forks Breaks Ground on $74 Million Air Traffic Control Tower, Due by End of 2029

Leaders broke ground on Thursday, Oct. 22, on a new $74 million air traffic control tower at Grand Forks International Airport in North Dakota. The tower is expected to be operational by the end of 2029. The FAA said the existing tower, built in 1987, has been outgrown.

The airport recorded 321,000 takeoffs and landings last year, compared with 340,000 at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and just over 80,000 at Hector International Airport in Fargo. The University of North Dakota operates the largest training school in the country, and its aerospace program accounts for 90% of air traffic at the airport. UND's flight school accounted for 212,000 flights in the year the current tower opened; its flight program has since grown from nearly 500 students to 2,200, and on some days the airport has been the busiest in the country for flight traffic.

The current tower is 104 feet tall; the new one will stand close to 200 feet. The cab, where controllers work, will be nearly four times larger, allowing seven to eight controllers on duty instead of the three to four who can work at a time now. The tower will also include a simulator, so controllers, who currently must travel across the country for training, can train alongside their day-to-day duties.

Rebecca MacPherson, FAA Great Lakes Region Administrator, said the current traffic can be handled safely, but added capacity would reduce strain on resources and allow for continued growth for the university and its students. Ryan Riesinger, executive director of the Grand Forks Regional Airport Authority, said the project is a big part of maintaining safety, and that the tower is not expected to bring significantly more commercial flights or capacity; rather, it gives controllers better space and viewpoints.