Work began this week on the expansion of Salt Lake City International Airport in the Mid-western American state of Utah.
The $1.8bn project involves the construction of a three-storey terminal and linear concourse with an annual passenger capacity of 20 million.Â
The plan is for the airport’s existing services to migrate to the new facilities over the next five years, and to complete all work by 2022. Mike Williams, the director of the terminal redevelopment programme, said: "Our goal is just to make it seamless, so you can just get to the airport like you do today."
Officials from the Salt Lake City Department of Airports have said that American taxpayers’ dollars are not being used on the project, and that passengers will not have to pay higher fares.Â
The business case for the airport claims that, taking into account the multiplier effect of the investment, up to $3.3bn in extra demand will be created in the Utah economy.
Artist’s depiction of the Salt Lake City Airport (Salt Lake City International Airport, Deseret News)
Maureen Riley, executive director of the Salt Lake City Department of Airports, said further expansion was possible after the completion of the terminal.Â
She said: "On our masterplan we do have a fourth runway very far into the future, maybe 25-30 years. We can expand to the east or west to the terminal itself, and that’s very hard to do with the horseshoe facility that we have today."
Riley added that the new facility would cut the airport’s energy costs 30%.
Architect HOK was selected in 2009 to design the terminal and concourse.
