ST. GEORGE — The choppy hum of helicopters and the roar of departing aircraft were heard in the background Monday morning as local and state officials and others gathered on a dusty patch north of the St. George Regional Airport to break ground on a long-awaited air traffic control tower.
The project, which has been years in the making, is expected to improve safety, boost efficiency and provide economic benefits that extend far beyond Washington County.
The whole state benefits from this, not just St. George.
– Utah Sen. Don Ipson, R-St. George
Currently, flights at the nation's fastest-growing airports are coordinated from Los Angeles International Airport, a setup local leaders say is becoming increasingly impractical as passenger counts rise and the airport handles a growing mix of commercial jets and general aviation traffic.
"Right now, this thing's being dispatched out of LA Center, which makes no sense," Utah Sen. Don Ipson, R-St. George, said. Ipson is given credit by local officials and state legislators for helping secure state funding while serving on the Senate appropriations committee. "It's an incredible investment for our city and for the safety of our travel in our region. The whole state benefits from this, not just St. George."
