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Airport Construction Takes Off
Work Slowed by 9/11 but Bouncing Back
By K. Robert Wendel
From a proposed $900 million cargo relief airport west of
Las Vegas to runway improvements in Safford, Ariz., airport
work across the Southwest appears to be taking flight.
Construction work was essentially grounded after the Sept.
11, 2001 terrorist attacks as airport authorities pulled back
in anticipation of a passenger traffic slowdown.
"I would say it's not as quite as gung ho or carefree
as before, but we are seeing an awful lot of money coming
in and the industry seems to be picking up," said Eric
Lovejoy, president of Reno-based Dinter Engineering, which
specializes in designing runway electrical systems.
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"I wouldn't say everything is coming back, but several
of the projects we have been working on have been resurrected
to some extent."
In Phoenix at the Sky Harbor Airport, McCarthy Building Cos.
is wrapping up on a long delayed, $16 international passenger
walkway, while a team from Austin Commercial is in design
on a massive, $160 million consolidated rental car facility.
Light rail will eventually link the new rental car facility
with the airport terminal.
The Weitz Cos. are expected to begin a $30 million cm at-risk
contract to renovate the passenger lelvel retail area and
Hunt Construction is starting work on an eight gate, $55 million
expansion of the S-2 concourse in terminal four.
"We put a lot of projects on hold because of the revenue
shortfall after 9-11," said David Hensley, acting deputy
aviation director for design and construction. "Now we
have quite an agenda."
Las Vegas Feels the Pain
When 9/11 occurred, and Las Vegas passenger traffic plummeted,
McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas froze its $1.4 billion
capital improvements program.
Things have since begun to unthaw with $341 million worth of
expansions and upgrades now underway.
In April, McCarran awarded a $49.9 million D-Gates expansion
to Sletten Construction Company of Nevada. The 19-month project
entails an 11-gate, 197,000-sq.-ft. D-Gate addition, plus a
157-ft.-tall runway traffic control tower. The sleek new glass-and-steel
northeast terminal and accompanying tower will create 250 new
construction jobs.
A separate $14.7 million contract to build the terminal's apron
and taxi-lanes went to Boulder Construction Inc., in July. Other
projects include a $120 million in-line explosives screening
system, and a $7 million checkpoint expansion for the C and
D Gates.
"The inline bomb screening system will all be automated
instead of manual, saving time by making the process less labor
intensive," said Rosemary Vassiliadis, McCarran's deputy
director. "It also allows us to recover some space and
become more efficient, greatly reducing passenger waiting times."
A long-delayed $110 million consolidated rental car facility,
located on 65 acres at Russell and Gilespie roads, is moving
forward. Designed by Swisher & Hall Architects of Las Vegas,
the new complex will consist of a 98,000 sq.-ft. customer service
building that combines 11 different car agencies. There will
also be a three-story, 1.6-million-sq.-ft. garage, and three
car wash/refueling areas.
Clark County officials are also eyeing plans for a $900 million
air cargo reliever airport near Primm Nev., but the project
is in a very preliminary stage.
The Reno/Tahoe International Airport has similarly rebounded
from 9/11, experiencing a .9 percent increase in passenger traffic
for the first seven months of 2003 versus last year. In April,
the airport completed the final $3.5 million phase of its three-year
terminal and concession stands remodeling with the opening of
"Explore! Reno/Tahoe," a retail store dedicated to
the region's special events. One month earlier, Q&D Construction
of Sparks finished a new $1.7 million terminal canopy, measuring
36-ft.-wide by 480-ft.-long. Built from 15 pre-cast concrete
stone-veneer columns, the canopy deck consists of structural
steel and acrylic paneling.
In addition, the airport approved the next phase of a $5.3 million,
two-year sound insulation program in June to buffer 95 neighboring
homes from the noise created by airline traffic. Alpine Energy,
Advanced Installations, and Graham Architectural Products Corporation
are the contractors for the work.
Sunport Eyes Infrastructure
Crews from J.B. Henderson Construction recently wrapped up
a $2 million renovation of Albuquerque's airport and now airport
officials are turning their eyes to other projects.
"We are looking at a significant refurbishment of the Sunport
terminal," said Dennis Parker, director of planning and
development at Sunport. "We are planning to do some significant
refurbishment of all systems including restrooms, mechanical
systems and we are also taking a look at the gates.
The $40 million project would round out the airport's first
phase of master planning, with airport officials gearing up
for a major expansion in the future, depending on the rate of
passenger traffic growth. |
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