Davis-Monthan Air Force Base breaks ground on South Wilmot gate

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — 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.

This enhancement is expected to significantly boost efficiency for delivery services ranging from Amazon to construction materials for ongoing projects at Davis-Monthan. "They’ll see a great increase in capacity and capability when this opens up,” noted Col. Mills.

The benefits of the project extend beyond the military community.

The new gate will also provide easier access to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base for Tucson residents, such as those visiting family members on base.

"It’s not just for the military and civilians who work on base,” Col. Mills said. “We want to encourage folks from Tucson and we want to give them easy and ample access."

At the groundbreaking, Mills said that the base isn’t just “a place surrounded by barbed wire,” and that the project is one way to show appreciation for the Tucson community's support.

“We’ve seen many communities across the United States throughout the course of our lives but we’ve never seen one that provides the level of support that Tucson does,” Mills said. “So we want the community of Tucson and Pima County to see Davis-Monthan as a partner. One way we do that is by providing these access points to show them what we’re doing here.”

Local jobs will also be created as the project progresses. “We’re happy to partner with our various community partners and use local construction agencies to do this work,” Mills said.

The Army Corps of Engineers Engineering District of Los Angeles will oversee construction, but much of the work will be handled by local Tucson construction companies, further strengthening the community’s ties to the base.

Lt. Col. Stephen Brooks, Deputy Commander of the Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District, says that the project is one of 15 military installations that the organization will undergo over the next few years.

“General Spellmon, who is the chief of engineers, his definition of winning is safely delivering quality projects on time and within budget,” Brooks said. “And that’s exactly what we’re doing here today.”

The entire project is expected to take about 18 months, with the new gate and inspection facility slated to open in early 2026.

Mills says that the project is just the beginning of a number of changes that the base will see in the near future. This comes after the announcement this year of the retirement of the A-10 aircraft and the shift to more lightweight, special operations jets.

“You’re going to see the face of Davis-Monthan change over the next few years,” Mills said. “Transferring from the A-10 and the EC-130 that you might see today, to special operations aircraft and the new EA-37 as well.”