[FONT=Verdana]Officials expect structure, support buildings to be removed in October or November[/FONT]
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[FONT=Verdana]Replaced months ago by a taller, state-of-the-art facility, the old air traffic control tower at Indianapolis International Airport is approaching what could be a deafening demolition day.[/FONT]
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[FONT=Verdana]The Indianapolis Airport Authority next week will begin soliciting bids for the demolition, which is expected to cost between $500,000 and $1 million.[/FONT]
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[FONT=Verdana]The contractor awarded the project will decide how the tower and its support buildings will come down.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana]Airport officials expect the shaft of the 140-foot tower to be imploded in spectacular fashion. Should an implosion take place, it would likely happen in October or November, project officials said.[/FONT]
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[FONT=Verdana]Topped by a five-sided "cab" or control room, the tower was designed by I.M. Pei, a renowned Chinese architect commissioned by the federal government in the 1960s to create a standardized tower for airports nationwide.[/FONT]
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[FONT=Verdana]Opened in 1972, the concrete structure emerged over the years as one of Indianapolis airport's most recognizable landmarks.[/FONT]
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[FONT=Verdana]Tower officials say age and overuse has taken a toll on the facility. For instance, some of the electronic equipment used by air traffic controllers has changed little since 1972.[/FONT]
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[FONT=Verdana]Meanwhile, airport traffic has continued to grow, reaching a record 8.5 million passengers last year.[/FONT]
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[FONT=Verdana]The structure was taken out of service in April and replaced by a new $38 million facility that, at 340 feet, is more than twice as tall.[/FONT]
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[FONT=Verdana]The new tower will serve a 40-gate passenger terminal under construction between the airport's main runways.[/FONT]
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[FONT=Verdana]Planners decided to build a taller tower after it became apparent the existing structure would not be able to peer above the midfield terminal. Federal regulations require control towers to have unobstructed views of runways.[/FONT]
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[FONT=Verdana]The $1.07 billion airport terminal project, which includes the new tower, is slated for completion in late 2008[/FONT]