Charlotte Douglas about to start 10 years of construction
Thought the construction headaches at Charlotte Douglas were over?
Wrong.
Just as Charlotte’s airport is wrapping up an 8-year, $1.5 billion round of construction projects, it’s promptly kicking off a 10-year, $2.5 billion program. Get your aspirin ready. Here’s what’s in store for what officials call the “Destination CLT” program (tagline: “We’re building an airport fit for the queen”).
The next phase of airport growth will be accompanied by really dramatic music at @CLTAirport #clt pic.twitter.com/7FZo1Qs98B
— Ely Portillo (@ESPortillo) May 4, 2015
New roadway in front of the terminal
– A new, 2-level, 8-lane road in front of the terminal will replace the current 3-lane roads for arriving and departing passengers. Five lanes will be for passenger vehicles and three for commercial vehicles, such as cabs and buses.
– Expected construction start: Summer 2015.
– Duration: 1 year, 8 months for the commercial vehicle lanes, 2 years and 3 months for the passenger vehicle lanes.
– Cost: $40 million.
Terminal lobby expansion
– Charlotte’s terminal will be expanded outwards – toward the hourly parking deck – to add more space for security, ticketing and baggage claim.
– The airport’s famous Queen Charlotte statue will be moved back to its old spot in front of the hourly parking deck, which will now be inside the terminal.
– Expected construction start: 2019.
– Duration: 3 years.
– Cost: $247 million.
Concourse A expansion
Are you ready? It's coming! #clt2015 #CLTAirport pic.twitter.com/rSc3hdhTJM
— CLT Airport (@CLTAirport) April 28, 2015
– 25 new gates in a new satellite terminal north of Concourse A, where the rental cars were formerly located
– Expected construction start: January 2016.
– Duration: 3 1/2 years
– Cost: $310 million.
Fourth parallel runway
We're just about ready for takeoff! Are you ready? #CLT2015 pic.twitter.com/ZZLOwCwPeo
— CLT Airport (@CLTAirport) April 29, 2015
– New, 12,000-foot runway between two existing runways, requiring the rerouting of parts of West Boulevard and Old Dowd Road.
– Expected construction start: Spring 2020.
– Duration: Two years.
– Cost: $422 million.
Other projects
– New flooring to replace carpets, improved lights and ceilings in existing concourses
– Expanding Concourses B and C
– New 367-foot-tall control tower on the airfield’s south side.
A photo posted by Charlotte Douglas Intl Airport (@cltairport) on May 1, 2015 at 8:42am PDT
This story was originally published May 4, 2015 at 9:55 PM with the headline "Charlotte Douglas about to start 10 years of construction."