Pittsburgh Airport Ready to Start $1.1B Terminal Upgrade Project

PITTSBURGH – Construction on Pittsburgh International Airport’s terminal modernization project is set to begin this spring after a nearly year-long delay.

Site work on the $1.1 billion project was scheduled to begin in April 2020, but was delayed because of the pandemic. In the interim, the project’s design team has been working with airlines and airport stakeholders to re-evaluate the project and adapt it to new health concerns. 

“We added public health to our dual imperatives of safety and air service, and that is the lens through which we have been looking at the terminal and the whole project during this time,” said airport CEO Christina Cassotis in a statement. “Improving the airport experience and increasing public trust in travel are essential to any future plans.”

Now, the plan is begin site work in the spring, followed by construction of the new terminal building over the summer.

Design and construction documents for the terminal update are more than 90% complete and are ready to be bid on. Documents for the parking garage and rental car center will be finalized this month.

Over the next two months, Pittsburgh International Airport hopes to secure agreements with airlines to advance on $182 million worth of site work.

The terminal modernization project will be built next to the current airside facility between Concourses C and D. The concept includes separate levels for departing and arriving passengers, technological improvements and more automated systems, additional space for concessions, artwork and other amenities, and an emphasis on sustainability.

“The combination of nature, technology and community form the DNA of the region and that should be reflected in the structure of the building to enhance the experience for all users and leave a memorable impression,” said Luis Vidal, founder and president of Luis Vidal + Architects, the firm that designed the new terminal.

More information on the concept design and terminal modernization program is available at PittTransformed.com.

Pictured: A rendering of the new terminal at Pittsburgh International Airport.

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.