Brady PieperArizona’s largest airport, Sky Harbor International, is expanding capacity and building a new taxiway, in part, thanks to a surge of federal support from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT).
The DOT will invest $84.3 million in funding to advance the Sky Harbor International Airport Taxiway Uniform (Taxiway U) project in Phoenix. The federal grant, administered by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), will enable the construction of a proposed taxiway bridge and further additional efforts to improve safety and operational infrastructure at the vital airport.
“Phoenix is the fastest growing city in the country – our airport needs to be able to keep up with demand,” Arizona State Representative Yassamin Ansari said. “This investment is a significant step forward for the future of Sky Harbor, a gem in Arizona’s 3rd Congressional District.”
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The FAA will source the funding from the Airport Improvement Program (AIP), the feds’ premier funding and grant program for public-use airports. Backed by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the AIP supports projects that improve the safety and efficiency of airport operations and expand taxiways and facilities.
Sky Harbor’s AIP grant will primarily facilitate the construction of the new 2,100-foot taxiway bridge that is designed to increase aircraft operations, reduce delays for passengers and improve overall airport efficiency.
The new bridge would span the north and south airfields on the west end of the airport. As the airport’s only taxiways are on the east end of the airfield, the new west-end taxiway would allow for a more efficient flow of aircraft and streamlining of airfield operations.
While the project is primed for operations in mid-2027, Sky Harbor will be required to make substantial roadway modifications and improvements prior to main bridge work, including major utility relocation, west airport roadway reconfiguration and modifications to existing airport facilities.
Overall, the Taxiway U initiative is estimated to cost $332.9 million, including all project costs. With the FAA’s funding announcement, federal support for the project will now total approximately $200 million.
As the project continues through the preliminary design and procurement stages, more information and updates will be available on Phoenix Sky Harbor’s Taxiway U webpage.
Beyond AIP funding, Sky Harbor is the recent beneficiary of a $35 million federal grant aiming to modernize and repair utility infrastructure at Terminal 4. The grant, sourced from the FAA’s Airport Terminal Program, emphases the airport’s efforts to expand capacity, enhance efficiency and improve safety for all passengers and operators, especially as demand continues to rise.
Photo courtesy Robert693, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
