On Friday, August 23, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base broke ground on a major reconstruction project to reconstruct an entrance and exit gate on the base’s south side.
This initiative, years in the making, is set to bring substantial benefits not only to the base but also to the broader Tucson community.
The project focuses on the complete reconfiguration of the South Wilmot entrance, a move that the Air Force believes will significantly improve the flow of traffic in and out of the base.
“The project is a complete reconstruction of our South Wilmot gate,” Col. Scott Mills, the 355th Wing Commander at Davis-Monthan. “It’s going to help a lot of our residents both coming onto and leaving the base.”
For years, traffic jams have plagued the area surrounding the base, particularly along Golf Links Road near Craycroft and Swan.
The new gate is designed to redirect much of this congestion to the south end of the base, freeing up space on the north side and reducing bottlenecks.
In addition to easing traffic, the new gate will feature a state-of-the-art inspection facility designed to handle the increasing volume of commercial deliveries to the base, along with also diverting deliveries to the south side of the base.