$28 m Gateway Airport terminal expansion tops out in Arizona

Construction on the  $28 million Gateway Airport terminal expansion project has finally topped out in Phoenix, Arizona. Recently, the airport’s officials hosted a topping-out ceremony to celebrate the project’s new milestone. General contractor McCarthy Building Companies and DWL Architects + Planners were also present at the event.

Gateway Airport’s CEO, J. Brian O’Neill pointed out that the terminal expansion project was critically important to accommodate future growth. Especially since the airport  has now reached double-digit passenger growth in fiscal year 2023,  with 1.9 million passengers. This growth is  5.6% more than that of the fiscal year 2022.

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Number of gates for the Gateway Airport terminal expansion

The Gateway Airport terminal expansion project is replacing a 13-year-old temporary structure with a 30,000-square-foot terminal. The old temporary structure had four-gates, but the new expansion will now include five permanent gates. It will also connect passengers to the  ticket counters and security checkpoint at the airport through a glass pedestrian walkway. Additionally, the new terminal also offers spaces for retail and food concessions, storage areas and airline support offices. The developers incorporated an energy efficient plan for the project and also made it compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Besides the recent Gateway Airport terminal expansion, the airport has also carried out other developments over the years. Presently, the airport has nine gates, including three others which were added to a temporary prefabricated area in late 2022. McCarthy completed this temporary addition  to enable the airport to handle increased capacity during the busy holiday travel season. 

McCarthy  expects to complete the Gateway Airport terminal expansion by February 2024, which is in time for the spring travel rush. According to McCarthy’s project director, Thomas Assante, the company aims to  eliminate disruptions of  airport operations throughout the project. He also said his company is looking forward to finishing the project on time and on budget.

Funding for the airport’s terminal expansion project comes from a $14.4 million federal grant. Gateway Airport received this grant under the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.