Construction has started on two taxiways at DFW Airport that will give flights an option to avoid crossing other runways on their way to the terminal. The $28.8 million project will add "end-around" taxiways in the southwest part of the airport.
"Safety is paramount in terms of our responsibilities and our objectives," DFW Airport Chief Executive Sean Donohue said.
Donohue said end-around taxiways will give planes a safer way to reach terminals without crossing the path of another that may be taking off or landing.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg attended the groundbreaking.
"Every time a plane's got to cross an active runway to get to where it's going, that is a source of risk," he said. "To a layperson, it can most easily be described as kind of a u-turn lane for aircraft to allow aircraft to more safely and easily navigate through the airfield."
Buttigieg said the U.S. has not had a fatal airline crash in 14 years, but he said the "safety journey has to continue."
"It's a phenomenal achievement and something we dare not take for granted," he said.
In addition to safety considerations, Buttigieg said the grant will help DFW move planes more efficiently as the airport prepares for additional growth.
"We really think about how America can be ahead in the 2030s, 2040s, 2050s, especially as we continue to see rigorous competition from places like China," he said. "DFW, I think, will continue to be an economic engine, not just for this region but really for the entire country."
"Anything that improves the efficiency of the airfield and improves the ability for the FAA to handle the growth in our traffic is a very positive thing for DFW," Donohue says.
The FAA has provided DFW with $180 million to build taxiways in different parts of the airport.
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