As air travel continues to rebound from the pandemic slump, airport projects are taking off. Many are getting infusions of cash from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which designates $15 billion over five years for runways, safety and sustainability efforts, terminals, airport-transit connections and roadway projects. Of that, $2.89 billion became available for airport projects in fiscal year 2023.
Here are seven major airport expansions around the country that are planned, starting or underway.
St. Louis Lambert International Airport reconfiguration
Cost: $3 billion
Location: St. Louis
Contractor: TBA
Status: Planning in progress
Plans for the St. Louis Airport call for a single, consolidated terminal with 62 gates — up from the current 54 gates across two terminals — that has 60% more concession and retail space and 6,000 more parking spaces. The airport’s 12 signatory airlines have agreed to fund 75% or more of $332 million in projects to free up space for the proposed airport expansion, Fox 2 reported last month. Some of this work could start next year while negotiations and environmental studies are pending.
The aging existing terminals lack functionality, don’t have enough concession space and have high maintenance costs, according to the airport.
The Federal Aviation Administration approved a master plan to reconfigure the airport in May, but it still needs environmental approval and an agreement with those 12 airlines for the rest of the work. If the project moves ahead as planned, it would break ground in 2026 and wrap in 2031.
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport Concourse B
Cost: $1.1 billion-$2 billion
Location: Austin, Texas
Contractor: TBA
Status: In pre planning
The new $1.1 billion-$2 billion, 20-gate Concourse B project is in the works at Austin-Bergstrom, in the pre-planning stages. It will include passenger and tenant spaces, boarding bridges, baggage handling system expansion, aircraft apron expansion and underground utilities as well as a new subgrade tunnel.
Austin-Bergstrom is one of the fastest-growing airports in the country in terms of passenger volume, and has struggled to keep up with the area’s population growth. To address this demand, there are a variety of ongoing efforts at the facility in various stages of completion.
In August, Hensel Phelps broke ground on the $165 million West Gate expansion. It entails the addition of 84,500 square feet over three levels of new passenger amenities such as waiting areas and concessions, replacement of 12 current gate boarding bridges and three new gates to offset closures during future expansion projects. Construction is estimated to be completed in spring 2026, according to the airport.
Denver International Airport expansion
Cost: $1.3 billion
Location: Denver
Contractor: Hensel Phelps
Status: Under construction
The $1.3 billion Great Hall expansion project, which began in 2018 under a consortium led by Spanish contractor Ferrovial, will see the Denver International Airport enlarged and renovated over nearly a decade. Greeley, Colorado-based Hensel Phelps took over as general contractor in 2020, after Ferrovial left the project. The builder has already increased the Jeppesen Terminal by 31,000 square feet, along with an additional 158,500 square feet of newly renovated space, according to the airport’s website.
The project is currently in Phase 2, which includes a new security checkpoint and escalators, and will finish in early 2024. The final completion phase of the project, which includes systematic overhauls of restrooms, flooring and lighting, is also underway. It will feature new experiences for passengers at check-in areas and meet-and-greet stations, and a new center for developing careers in aviation for under-represented groups, per the project’s website.
William P. Hobby Airport's West Concourse Expansion Project
Cost: $470 million
Location: Houston
Contractor: TBA
Status: Planning in progress
The $470 million expansion at Houston’s William P. Hobby Airport will include seven additional gates that can accommodate domestic and international flights, as well as an expanded and renovated baggage handling system and baggage claim area, according to a release from the Houston Airport System.
It will also include an overhead canopy along the departures curb that will protect against inclement weather and connect the current Red Garage to the terminal, according to the release. Currently, the project is still in the planning and appropriations phase, per the airport.
Des Moines International Airport expansion
Cost: $445 million
Location: Des Moines, Iowa
Contractor: Turner and Weitz JV
Status: Under construction
New York City-based Turner Construction and Des Moines, Iowa-headquartered Weitz will build Phase 1 of the $445 million expansion at Des Moines International Airport, according to Turner.
The project, which broke ground on Oct. 5, will add six more gates, boosting the total number to 18. It will also replace and expand security areas, gate operations, passenger arrivals and departures, baggage handling systems and elevated dining and retail options, according to the Turner release.
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport overhaul
Cost: $242 million
Location: St. Paul, Minnesota
Contractor: TBA
Status: Under construction
The $242 million in improvements to the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport’s Terminal 1 is the largest single terminal renovation project the airport has taken on, according to the Metropolitan Airports Commission, which owns and operates the airport.
With partial funding from Delta Airlines, the modernization will deliver a unified design across six of the terminal’s seven concourses and approximately 75 Delta gate hold rooms, the release said.
Work on Concourses D and F began in late October, per the release. The renovation of Concourse C will begin in February 2024. Improvements on concourses A, B, G and the skyway bridge connecting Concourses C and G are scheduled for 2025.
Missoula Montana Airport extension
Cost: $109 million
Location: Missoula, Montana
Contractor: Martel Construction
Status: Under construction
There are multiple stages of construction happening at Missoula Montana Airport: Phase 1, the South Concourse, wrapped in January at the cost of $67 million, with more capacity and security features as well as new amenities.
Work on the East Concourse Extension is now underway, with a budget of $42 million. This second phase of construction will include four new aircraft gates, rental car counters and an expanded baggage claim. It will open in phases and is expected to be complete by early 2025.
Bozeman, Montana-based Martel Construction is building both stages of the project.
This article has been updated with the correct groundbreaking date and city where Weitz is headquartered.
