Sen. Inhofe Requests $20M To Replace Nearly 60-Year-Old Tulsa Air Traffic Control Tower

Senator Jim Inhofe's office announced plans to direct $20 million of discretionary funding into a new control tower at Tulsa International Airport.

A study conducted by the airport determined replacing the tower will cost approximately $42 million. The airport has pledged another $7 million and is seeking county and city support for the remainder.

Tulsa's tower opened in 1962, and according to the airport, no longer meets modern building codes, or FAA functional standards.

"It's really important, especially with all these new direct flights to Tulsa being announced, we want to see that continue to grow so we want to make sure the infrastructure at TIA is able to support that," Luke Holland, the Chief of Staff for Senator Jim Inhofe, said.

The tower at times has been unusable because of leaking water and mold, and controllers have worked out of a trailer during repairs. Over the years the airport has expanded, and now the tower doesn't have a full view of the field. Officials are studying where to build, and how high to build, to solve that problem.

The congressional appropriation for the $20 million could come as soon as this fall, and if the local matching money is secured, construction could begin as soon as 2023.