Austin, Texas, officials and construction workers broke ground on Austin-Bergstrom International Airport’s $164 million West Gate Expansion, the city announced on Aug. 30. The general contractor performing services is Greeley, Colorado-based Hensel Phelps, according to a project fact sheet shared with Construction Dive.
The project will grow the airport by 84,500 square feet over three levels of apron, concourse and mezzanine space, according to the release. Hensel Phelps will build three new gates that will eventually offset closures during future construction activities.
The facility will also add more seating areas, the largest restrooms in the terminal, quiet places for relaxation, private rooms for nursing mothers and a third-level outdoor public patio with views of the city skyline, per the release. The city expects the expansion to open in 2026.
“Following the post-pandemic surge in air travel demand, we must modernize and improve our airport,” said Robert Goode, interim assistant city manager for Austin.
There’s a bevy of plans to go around — the West Gate project is part of a larger network of 61 planned upgrades worth $6.5 billion total over the next two decades at the airport. Other improvements include a new concourse with 10 additional gates and an underground tunnel that will connect it to the airport’s existing facilities.
However, that larger initiative has faced issues. Earlier this summer, officials reached an $88 million settlement over the removal of the South Terminal facility and 30 other vacant buildings with LoneStar Airport Holdings, which had sued to block the airport from taking over the space to accommodate the project, the city announced on June 1.
Other Texas airports are also scheduled to receive upgrades. Separate plans include: