The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has awarded Walsh Federal a design-build contract to construct a new air traffic control tower at Sacramento International Airport.
The contract to design and build the air traffic control tower is valued at $148.8m, reported The Business Journals.
It represents a major milestone in the plan to replace the existing tower, which has been in service since 1967.
According to the FAA, the contract covers both the design and building of the new facility, with work scheduled to continue through early 2030.
Construction is currently expected to begin in the summer of 2027, and the new tower is anticipated to become fully operational around 2030.
Upon completion, the new tower will be owned and operated by the FAA.
Sacramento County Airports assistant director Harry Barrett Jr said: “This contract award is a significant step forward for the long-term safety, efficiency and resilience of our airspace operations at Sacramento International Airport.
“We have been ready for this investment for many years, and we are excited to see the project move from planning toward construction.”
The FAA identified Sacramento International as a priority site for tower replacement in 2016.
The airport is among eight sites selected nationwide as part of a larger initiative to update ageing air traffic infrastructure.
The broader programme receives financial support from the $5bn allocated to the FAA Air Traffic Organization through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
The current tower at the airport faces operational and accessibility limitations, along with ageing facility systems.
Plans call for relocating the replacement tower to the airport’s north campus, improving sightlines for air traffic controllers and providing a modern working environment.
The new location also aims to enhance security by placing critical airport operations away from public-facing areas.
Walsh Federal’s contract period of performance runs through February 2030.
Earlier this month, the USACE, Fort Worth District, awarded a firm-fixed-price contract worth $169.4m to Walsh Construction to build the North Bypass Channel in Fort Worth, Texas.
