Airport construction halted due to FAA shutdown

GULFPORT — Construction on the nearly completed air traffic control tower at the Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport has been halted because Congress failed to pass legislation to keep the Federal Aviation Administration operating.

The action doesn’t stop flights at the airport.

The FAA told contractors to quit work on the nearly $12-million project in Gulfport and other modernization projects at dozens of airports across the country.

Air traffic controllers have remained on the job, as well as FAA employees who inspect the safety of planes and test pilots.

Nearly 4,000 FAA employees in 35 states, and the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, have been furloughed.