EADS Moving Traffic Gate on Oct. 17 Published Oct. 11, 2013 By Tim Jones EADS Rome -- Commuters at the Griffiss Business and Technology Park will notice a slight change in the traffic pattern next week on Perimeter Drive near the Eastern Air Defense Sector. Starting on Thursday, Oct. 17, vehicles will enter and exit the EADS facility through its alternate gate on Perimeter Road. The alternate gate is located approximately 100 yards north of the facility's primary entry control point and traffic gate, which sits near the intersection of Perimeter Road and Phoenix Drive. The alternate gate has been used for extended periods on several occasions and the move is expected to have minimal impact on vehicle traffic. The alternate gate is being moved to accommodate construction of a new entry control point, which will enable vehicles to access the facility from Phoenix Drive. The property located between EADS southern fence and Phoenix Drive was recently transferred to EADS from the Air Force Research Laboratory. This 11-acre addition provides space for the construction of a larger, more secure entry control point, as well as an area for inspecting vehicles. Funds for the $1.6 million project were provided in the fiscal year 2013 budget and construction should be completed next May. "This construction project has been planned for several years and I'm pleased that we're finally able to get it started," said Col. Dawne Deskins, EADS Commander. "Once finished, the new entry control point will make our site more secure and expedite vehicle inspections, which will make coming in and out of the facility easier for our staff, visitors and the many local companies we do business with." The Eastern Air Defense Sector is headquartered at Griffiss Business and Technology Park in Rome. Staffed by active-duty New York Air National Guardsmen and a Canadian Forces detachment, the unit supports the North American Aerospace Defense Command's (NORAD) integrated warning and attack assessment missions and the U.S. Northern Command's (USNORTHCOM) homeland defense mission. EADS is responsible for air sovereignty and counter-air operations over the eastern United States and directs a variety of assets to defend one million square miles of land and sea.