Ground Broken For New SFO Air Traffic Control Tower

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS/AP) - San Francisco International Airport is getting a new air traffic control tower that officials say will reduce flight delays.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee were among numerous officials who attended Monday's ground breaking for the new tower.

It will go up in a tight space between Terminals 1 and 2 and have an unusual design that resembles a torch, not the traditional lollipop-shape of other air traffic control towers. The base of the tower will have coffee shops and other publicly accessible facilities.

Officials say the $102 million project will create hundreds of jobs.

Funding is coming from the Federal Aviation Administration and the airport.

It is expected to be up and running in 2015.

KCBS' Bob Butler Reports:

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