New Air-Traffic Control Tower coming to Martin State Airport. (Courtesy MDOT MAA)
Last month, Maryland transportation and aviation leaders were joined by federal and state elected officials and Maryland Air National Guard leadership to celebrate the groundbreaking for a new, state-of-the-art air traffic control tower at Martin State Airport. This important project will improve safety, modernize the airport and help fuel economic growth in Maryland. The new tower will replace the airport’s existing tower, which was built in 1942 and is among the oldest active air traffic control towers in the country.
Owned and operated by the Maryland Aviation Administration, Martin State Airport is a public use airport located about 10 miles northeast of downtown Baltimore. The airport serves general aviation, including corporate, private, law enforcement and military aircraft. Nested right at the center of the Middle River area, the airport also hosts flight schools and provides a number of other aviation-related services.
Key transportation and aviation leaders joined former Secretary Paul Wiedefeld for the project’s groundbreaking on July 7th. (Courtesy MDOT MAA)
The new tower is designed to improve visibility and accommodate key personnel alongside modern air traffic management technologies. With improved functionality and a larger facility, the $22.2 million project will bolster safety and maximize efficiency for both air traffic controllers and pilots. The air traffic control tower project is funded by the Maryland Transportation Trust Fund and Federal Aviation Administration grants.
“This new tower will improve safety, efficiency and the overall customer experience at Martin State, a historic airport and critical aviation asset for Maryland,” said Shannetta Griffin, Executive Director and CEO of the Maryland Aviation Administration. “This project will provide air traffic controllers with the facility they need to ensure safe and efficient operations in the coming decades. I thank state and federal partners for supporting our vibrant general aviation sector.”
New-look Control Tower expected to be completed in 14-months. (Courtesy MDOT MAA)
The State of Maryland is leading efforts to improve Martin State Airport’s infrastructure to enhance safety, efficiency and sustainability. Construction of the new tower will take about 14–months. This is just one of several upgrades at the airport. Last year, the Runway 15-33 Rehabilitation Project completely repaved and upgraded the airport’s runway with new airfield lighting and signage.
Staci Gorden is the Communications Manager for the Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Aviation Administration.