Plans to expand Texas’ Austin-Bergstrom International Airport have made a step forward after around $1.9 billion worth of construction contracts were greenlit by Austin City Council.
Several contracts were awarded during a September 26 council meeting, including a $1.03 billion deal with Hansel Phelps Construction Company for work on the airport’s Concourse B and Tunnel Project.
Additional contracts included $820 million for pre-construction and construction services for the hub’s Arrivals and Departures Hall project with Austin Commercial LP as well as $45 million to Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP.
The contracts were awarded as part of the airport’s “Journey With AUS,” multi-year expansion program, which aims to transform the airport from a medium-sized airport to one that can accommodate a growing Austin and Central Texas population.
austintexas.gov
The total estimated cost of the upgrade project is reportedly $4 billion, and the completion of the new buildings is targeted for 2030.
According to an official release, features of the expansion project will include:
- A new midfield concourse and connecting tunnel
- New arrivals and departures hall
- Midfield taxiways
- Expanded parking
- A new baggage handling system
- International arrival upgrades
- Expansion to the airport’s west gate
- A new airplane fuel facility
Newsweek has contacted Austin-Bergstrom International for comment via email outside of standard working hours.
Austin-Bergstrom International is not the only Texas airport with major works underway.
Dallas-Fort Worth International, one of the world’s busiest aviation hubs, is currently executing plans for a $9 billion makeover.
Earlier this month, Newsweek reported that work to rebuild the airport’s Terminal C had begun. Organizers said the project will “transform the airport’s busiest and most outdated terminal into a modern and spacious experience.”
Upgrades to the terminal are set to include new glass windows, the removal of over 400 “view-blocking columns,” and a raised roof, according to a statement from the airport.
The terminal is also to receive new shops, restaurants, lounge space, check-in areas and security checkpoints.
The project includes growth plans for Terminal A alongside the work on Terminal C.
Terminal A will be expanded by 140,000 square feet and five gates, while C will grow by 115,000 square feet and get four gates.
Overall completion on the makeover is currently slated for 2030.
The terminal renovations are part of a wider regeneration project for Dallas Fort Worth International – an almost $9 billion plan called “DFW Forward,” billed as the airport’s largest capital investment since it opened in the 1970s, and according to an official release, it will include more than 180 projects.
Newsweek has previously mapped America’s busiest airports.
Do you have a story we should be covering? Do you have any questions about construction projects in your state? Contact LiveNews@newsweek.com