OAKLAND (KCBS)— A $31 million construction project at Oakland International Airport was brought to a halt last Monday. Through no fault of the project planners, the building of a new air traffic control tower is in jeopardy because of Congress’ inaction to reauthorize funding for the Federal Aviation Administration.

An estimated 60 construction workers have been off the job all week, while a minimum of $6,000 is lost each day because there is no working being done.

KCBS’ Dave Padilla Reports:

Devcon Construction project executive Doug Browne said the project was supposed to be completed by the end of March 2012, but he’s disappointed for the delay.

“Every day in construction to us is a day of loss of profit or a chance to go pursue another job at the end of this one,” said Browne.

This is just one of several airport projects nationwide that has been stopped cold because Congress didn’t reauthorize the funding bill.

Browne said construction crews at Oakland International are still hoping to beat the rainy season.

“We just got the steel and the crane off the site and we’re in the middle of resuming all the site work to get all the underground utilities and the site paved before this next rainy season,” Browne said in an update on his crews’ progress.

The workers who have been brought to a halt are not getting paid and the majority of them have been hired through local Bay Area unions.

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