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New Tower at Dulles Reflects Airport's Path ; Construction Work Abounds As One of the World's Busiest Terminals Readies for Future

Posted on: Saturday, 24 September 2005, 06:00 CDT

A new air-traffic-control tower, soaring to 325 feet, is a sure sign the expansion at Washington Dulles International Airport is moving along.

The tower is one of the tallest in the country. It will give air- traffic controllers a better view of the sprawling facility, which is in the midst of a $3.4 billion construction boom as it prepares to serve millions of additional passengers.

"This is not to meet today's needs, this is to meet tomorrow's needs," said Paul Turk, a Federal Aviation Administration spokesman who joined other officials yesterday in showing off the structure to reporters.

Construction of the 25-story tower was recently completed by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, and it soon will be handed over to the FAA. The tower is mostly empty now but will be fully operational in about a year, after being equipped with instruments and electronics.

It is nearly twice as tall as the original tower, built in 1962. Though it will no longer be used by air-traffic controllers, the old tower will not be torn down because it is considered architecturally significant. Officials have not determined how they will use it.

Other projects are in the works, including an underground train system to shuttle passengers between the main terminal and concourses.

The trains, similar to those in Atlanta and Denver, are expected to begin running in 2009 and will replace the current mobile lounges.

A 12-gate concourse expansion is expected to begin this year, and a fourth and fifth runway also are planned, the first of which is expected to be completed by the middle of 2008.

"There's not much of this airport that's not under construction right now," said James E. Bennett, the airports authority's chief executive officer.

Dulles is among the world's busiest airports, according to the Airports Council International. Bennett said Dulles had nearly 23 million passengers last year, and as many as 40 million are expected in 10 years.

Those numbers are impressive, officials said, because Dulles does not have as many connecting flights as some other major airports, such as Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International.

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport had about 16 million customers last year. Baltimore-Washington International had a little more than 20 million.

Source: Richmond Times - Dispatch

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