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WHO:A local construction crew from MCO Environmental Inc. will begin dismantling the old Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) tower that served the airport community for 17 years.
WHY:The FAA asked the Miami-Dade Aviation Department (MDAD) to take the tower down to avoid any damage this hurricane season.
WHAT:The top of the tower, known as the cab and weighing 19 tons, will be taken down with a crane in one piece on Tuesday morning. In approximately 75 days, the crew will dismantle the entire tower, separating it into 60 pre-cast concrete pieces. Each piece, like the cab, weighs 19 tons. The old tower was used from 1985 to 2002 and was the ninth tower used at MIA.
A new, 332-foot tower was built to withstand even the worst hurricane force winds and remain operational in winds up to 150 mph. The new tower is 100 feet taller than the old one that is being disassembled. A taller tower that provides a clear line-of-sight became necessary when MIA began adding more structures in its $5.2 billion Capital Improvement Program.
WHERE:FAA Tower, 6301 NW 20th Street. From 67th Avenue, go east on N.W. 22nd Street until it ends, turn right, then turn in the first entrance on the right to park in the staging area.
WHEN:Tuesday, June 6, 2006, at approximately 9:00 a.m.
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