FAA re-verifies location of Lawton airport’s new control tower

Federal officials have re-verified the location of a new air traffic control tower planned for Lawton-Fort Sill Regional Airport.

Lawton is one of 30 locations across the country that the Federal Aviation Administration has designated for new traffic control towers, with Lawton’s project slated to begin in early 2025. The new 80-foot tower will replace the existing 49-foot tower that dates to the 1960s, and one that no longer meets all of the airport’s needs.

Federal officials analyzed multiple sites proposed by local officials before agreeing late last year to a site that is mid-field and closer to the runway. The existing tower is closer to South Sheridan Road and is just south of Bishop School property.

Airport Director Barbara McNally said Tuesday that federal officials recently directed another analysis of the sites, based on concerns about seismic activity in the area. She said the analysis was needed to gauge the effect that “beefing up” the tower’s steel support structure (making the facility larger because support beams are wider) would have. That meant looking at all five sites again to ensure the new tower configuration was still located at the best site. McNally said a day-long virtual session ended with officials agreeing the selected site is still the best option.

McNally said that decision means engineers can move forward with design plans on a tower that will solve multiple issues for the airport.

“Visibility is the main point,” she said in October, explaining one problem with the existing 49-foot-tall existing tower is officials working there cannot see the south end of the runway or any aircraft parked there because of the slope in the runway.

She said a taller tower, along with a site farther south along the runway, will resolve that issue, as well as allow modernization of the facility for its employees.

The project, estimated at $23.53 million, is being completely funded by the FAA through Congress’ bipartisan infrastructure bill as a way to modernize the nation’s control towers. FAA officials have not said how long construction in Lawton will take.

A memorandum of understanding with the FAA sets a 2-acre lease between the airport’s governing board and the FAA, with the airport granted a revocable permit for the tower. That tower and its equipment will be built, operated, maintained and owned by the FAA, as today’s is, McNally said.