Construction is officially underway at the Victoria International Airport on a new, modern and eco-friendly control tower with a better view of the runways — and of the new 2019 taxiway accidentally built out of view of the current tower.
This new tower will also be the first in Canada to receive certification through the U.S. Green Building Council. It will be built on the other side of the runways from the current tower and will be about the same size. It is expected to be completed by the fall of 2027. The current control tower manager could not recall whether the taxiway was built out of view or if a building was built in the way after — the airport undertook a roughly $20 million terminal expansion around the same time — but did say the new tower fixes the issues.
“It wasn’t just the line of sight,” Bohn said, adding that the current structure dates back to 1950. “This was a better option, both environmentally and economically.”