Nearly $7 Million To Replace Facility Built In the 1960's

The FAA has awarded a $6.77 million grant to Missoula International Airport for construction of a new control tower, which will replace the 1960's-vintage facility currently in use.

Airport director Cris Jensen said the 60-foot-tall tower is the oldest in Montana, and perhaps the oldest in the region. He told the Helena Independent Record that Billings, Helena, Bozeman and Kalispell have all built new towers over the past few years. Design work has already begun on the new structure, which will be twice as tall as the existing tower.

The paper reports that the design will have to be reviewed for any environmental impact to the area. Jensen said he hopes there will be no significant issues with the new design. "The tower is within our land perimeter, and one of our goals will be to build it in the least intrusive way possible," he said. "No bright colors, no reflective surfaces, we'll do everything we can to minimize any obstruction to the view. It will be well below the horizon line."

Jensen said between the tower construction, and work planned for resurfacing and re-design of runways and taxiways, that the airport will contribute over $13 million to the local economy next year.

FMI: www.flymissoula.com