SARASOTA — Construction is complete of the $25 million, 139-foot-high, air-traffic-control tower at Sarasota Bradenton International Airport.

The head of the construction portion of the project, Halfacre Construction Co., began the project in November 2015, Halfacre owner Jack Cox said.

“The work required about 30 contractors and more than 100 construction workers,” Cox said in a news release. “The final cost, including design, construction and equipment, totaled around $25 million.

"The new tower is equipped with the latest aviation technology," he said, "giving air traffic controllers more precise, system-wide information about weather and flight data.”

The glass for the tower was lifted into place with a crane and a hydraulic vacuum lifter, a specialized piece of equipment designed for heavy and out-sized shapes, according to the release. The glass was installed and mechanically retained in a customized curtain wall frame around the perimeter of the cab at a 15-degree angle, pitched toward the runway.

Each large and custom glass piece from Manatee County's Key Glass LLC is approximately 125 inches across at the top by 108 inches at the bottom by 98 inches tall and weighs about 1,560 pounds. Each one is laminated and comprised of three pieces of ultra clear low-iron half-inch annealed glass in a trapezoidal shape.

Sarasota Bradenton International Airport will now work with the Federal Aviation Administration to commission the new facility. The tower is expected to be in operation this summer.