Pittsburgh broke ground on a new 700,000-square-foot airport terminal project last week, making it the first terminal in the country to be built from the ground up in a post-pandemic world. Being built with a focus on public health and technology, Pittsburgh International Airport’s new facility will incorporate clean air technology, more space for social distancing and 90,000 square feet of outdoor terrace space—both pre- and post-security—to ensure access to fresh air.
The new terminal is designed with an aim to modernize the airport, transform the passenger experience, maintain stable airline costs and advance the region’s economy. Additionally, as part of construction, the Airport Authority will implement new standards aimed at breaking down barriers and increasing equal access to opportunities for small businesses, women and people of color.
The new terminal will also be among the most sustainable in the industry as officials are building to LEED-certified silver or beyond. It will be powered by the airport’s microgrid, which is fueled by 10,000 solar panels and five natural gas generators. During construction, a minimum of 75 percent of waste generated will be recycled or reused, including concrete from existing airfield ramps that will be reused for new roads. Additional plans include rainwater harvesting and other water conservation efforts.
Travelers can expect consolidated operations, including ticketing, security checkpoints and baggage claim, improving the passenger experience. Specifically, its single terminal design will reduce passenger travel time by 50 percent to get from the curb to airside. The multi-modal complex includes a new 3,300-space parking garage, rental car facilities and entrance roadways, all designed to improve the passenger experience.
To celebrate the occasion, more than 300 guests gathered near the construction site of the new terminal and multi-modal transportation complex that together make up the airport’s $1.4 billion Terminal Modernization Program.
The Airport Authority expects the project to generate some $2.5 billion in total economic impact as well as 14,500 total direct and indirect jobs. The project will require more than 12,000 tons of steel, 94,000 tons of concrete and more than 354,000 square feet of wood materials, much of which the airport hopes to source locally. It’s said to be among the largest infrastructure projects in the history of the Pittsburgh region.
Structural steel for the new terminal will be fabricated locally; lumber and wood materials may also be sourced locally, and workforce diversity goals will be increased across the project. Additionally, the airport announced a regional partnership with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to proactively reduce construction site hazards and serious injuries, increase sustainability and advance an overall safer, greener construction site.
Key design features, developed by architectural and engineering firms Gensler and HDR in association with luis vidal + architects are centered on elements of nature and sustainability, technology, and innovation in the community. The new facilities are scheduled to open in early 2025.
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