Sneak peek at more CLT airport renovations— including new underground tunnel
Starting next week, passengers at Charlotte Douglas International will see even more additions to the airport’s terminal lobby area — and you may even walk underground to get inside.
Another phase of CLT’s terminal expansion will open Wednesday after two years of construction.
The five-year, $608 million project kicked off in 2019. When completed, it will add roughly 175,000 square feet to the terminal lobby and renovate another 191,000 square feet said Jack Christine, airport COO. Only the west side terminal expansion will open for now, providing an additional 90,000 square feet to an airport Christine said rapidly outgrew its original capacity. The east side expansion will open in 2023.
The terminal expansion is part of a grander $2.5 billion vision, “Destination CLT.” Launched in 2015, the project revamped the previously three-lane road into the current eight lanes leading to the terminal. Construction of a fourth runway was included in the project, but has since been pushed back to 2027. Expansions to Concourse A will be finalized by 2024.
Here’s what is new inside the lobby.
Security checkpoints
Five existing security and ticketing checkpoints will be consolidated into three, Christine said. When renovations are complete, Checkpoints A and B will become Checkpoint 1, Checkpoints C and D will become Checkpoint 2 and Checkpoint E will become Checkpoint 3.
“We’ve made sure that we haven’t lost any checkpoint capacity as we construct the project,” Christine said. “In Checkpoint E ... we took out the standard lanes you would typically see and installed automatic screening lanes, which increases capacity by lane by about 20 to 30% and increased our overall capacity.”
The new checkpoints will open by next year, Christine said.
New art, food
The Queen Charlotte statue was relocated to the west side of the terminal. The art is joined by a new sculpture: “Meridian” by Danielle Roney. The suspended artwork contains 569 spheres and 467 LED lights. A twin sculpture will be installed in the lobby’s east end.
The Queen Charlotte statue is the focal point of a lounging area called “the queen’s courtyard,” Christine said. Floor-to-ceiling windows and an oculus above Queen Charlotte allow more natural light to enter the new lobby. The courtyard will also hold rocking chairs, tree planters, restaurants and charging stations.
The airport is unsure which restaurants will be available, but Christine said vendor negotiations are starting. The terminal’s east side will have restaurants as well.
Baggage claim
The airport’s nine existing baggage claim carousels will be replaced with eight new ones, Christine said. Although there will be fewer total, the new carousels will have more space for passengers to retrieve their bags.
Airlines’ baggage information counters, updated flight information displays and a lost and found will also be housed in this area.
The terminal’s west side — phase two of the six-phase project — will house security checkpoints, ticketing counters, baggage claim and a new underground entrance.
Parts of the new ticketing counters and baggage claim area are still under construction, however, and temporary walls will remain until construction is finished. Signage has been posted in the terminal to guide passengers through the new space.
Underground walkway at CLT
A subterranean walkway connects the terminal with hourly parking decks. The tunnel will keep passengers from crossing traffic to enter the terminal, Christine said, improving the airport’s safety and traffic flow outside the terminal.
Christine said planners prioritized bright lighting and colorful art to keep the tunnel from feeling “dark and dingy.” A terrazzo floor image, “Carolina Moon” by Scott Parsons, dominates the tunnel’s entry to the terminal.
“Restless Sky,” a glass artwork by Catherine Widgery, also stretches along tunnel’s wall.
A skybridge from the terminal lobby to upper parking decks is expected to start construction late September, Christine said. A canopy covering the eight-lane road in front of the terminal will start construction simultaneously.
This story was originally published July 22, 2022 at 1:23 PM.
