$10M project gets underway at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport

MESA, Ariz. (KSAZ) - Out with the old and in with the new.

This concrete tarmac was laid back in 1941 at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport and now, it's time for a facelift.

"We're going to replace a million square feet of concrete and to put that in perspective, a million square feet of concrete is over 17 football fields, including end zones, so it's a really big project," Brian O'Neil said.

The year-long reconstruction project begins today and will create 105 jobs.

"Thicker, going to be able to handle larger aircraft and will be able to serve us for the next 40 to 50 years," O'Neil said.

The concrete is pretty historic and was here holding up planes during World War II and though they're breaking it up into pieces now, it's still not done serving its purpose.

"Instead of just throwing away history we are going to reclaim this concrete, we are going to recycle it and we're going to use it for the base of the new North Apron concrete," O'Neil said.

Brian O'Neil, executive director of the airport, says the project is proof of how vital this airport that was once the Williams Air Force Base has become.

"It's becoming very popular, we're having record-setting passenger activity, we're getting new non-stop destinations, we're working hard on facilitating infrastructure improvements," he said.