The long-awaited $260 million Sky Harbor taxiway project at the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport in Arizona was approved recently by the Phoenix City Council. The new cross-field taxiway is intended to connect the north and south airfields, which will improve aircraft flow for airfield operations. Designs are already in progress and the project is likely to receive Federal environmental approvals by late summer.
The Sky Harbor taxiway project is planned for the west end of the airport, and the taxiway is expected to be about 2000-feet in length. This project will be the first to benefit from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which was passed last year by Congress, and up to $194 million of the funds will be provided by the infrastructure package. The rest of the capital will be generated from Passenger Facility Charges and airport revenues.
Benefits of the Sky Harbor taxiway project
Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego described the Sky Harbor taxiway project as another step toward connecting Phoenix to the world. She pointed out that the new taxiway would cut down aircraft taxi time, improve utilization of all runways and offer more capacity for airline partners.
The District 4 Vice Mayor, Laura Pastor also spoke in support of the taxiway project, stating that the improvements to Sky Harbor’s airflow, would lead to an increase in opportunities for the airport around the world, both in business and leisure travel. She added that this would ultimately boost Phoenix’s global connectivity.
Also Read The US$14.5 billion Los Angeles Airport (LAX) Modernization Project
The Phoenix Sky Harbor airport is also hoping to benefit from the $5 billion in competitive grants, which will be set aside by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for airport terminal projects over a 5 year period, along with other competitive grant opportunities for projects that promote sustainability.
Some other projects which are likely to accompany the current taxiway project include a second north concourse at Terminal 3, a pedestrian bridge located between Terminals 3 and 4, infrastructure improvements at Terminal 4, upgrades to garage lighting, and new solar installations, and replacements of fleet vehicles with electric vehicles.Â
