Phoenix Sky Harbor to get new cross-field taxiway with infrastructure money

PHOENIX — A new way to travel through Sky Harbor International Airport was approved by the Phoenix City Council on Wednesday, making way for construction to begin on a cross-field taxiway that’ll connect the north and south airfields.

Once the estimated $260 million project is complete, better aircraft flow for airfield operations will be in place, airport officials said in a press release.

Design for the 2,000-foot taxiway is already underway, while federal environmental approvals are expected later this year.

Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed last year, approximately $194 million will go toward the project, with the remainder of the balance being paid from airport revenues and Passenger Facility Charges, the release said.

“This airfield project is another step in connecting Phoenix to the world. As one of the first projects for the city identified for delivery under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, this new taxiway will reduce aircraft taxi time, improve utilization of all runways, and add capacity for our airline partners,” Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego said in the release.

“Infrastructure investments like this make our city even more attractive to the global aviation industry, including travelers using Sky Harbor.”

Further, $5 billion will be set aside over five years in competitive grants for airport terminal projects, as well as competitive grant opportunities for projects promoting sustainability.

Possible future projects to assist increasing passenger traffic include a pedestrian bridge between Terminals 3 and 4, a second north concourse at Terminal 3, new solar installations and a replacement of fleet vehicles with electric vehicles, the release said.

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