Airport Enhancements Begin at BWI

The following information was submitted to Patch by Jonathan Dean, spokesman for BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport. It is printed here in its entirety and edited for Patch style:

Construction has started on a major terminal enhancement program at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. The work will improve and modernize the BWI Marshall passenger terminal facility and provide new services for Airport travelers. The BWI Marshall Observation Gallery will be closed until spring 2013 to accommodate the construction program.

“BWI Marshall is Maryland’s gateway to the world,” said Gov. Martin O’Malley. “Together, we have worked hard to create a world-class facility. The recent is evidence that our investments in BWI Marshall are paying off. Now, it is time to take the next step and improve the terminal so that we are able to accommodate the growth that we are experiencing today and the continued growth we expect in the future.”

The terminal enhancement program will address near-term needs and accommodate long-term growth at BWI Marshall.

The construction will include the following:

• New, expanded security checkpoint
• Secure connector between Concourses B and C with moving sidewalks and other passenger amenities
• Improved Concourse C facility with improved airline gate hold rooms and new food and retail space.

“We are working to ensure that BWI Marshall remains the ‘easy come, easy go’ airport,” said Paul J. Wiedefeld, executive director of BWI Marshall Airport. “We want to provide a high level of service for our customers while providing the opportunity for continued growth.”

The new, expanded passenger security checkpoint would serve Concourses A, B and C. The nine-lane checkpoint with the latest screening equipment would be comparable to the large, efficient security checkpoints that currently exist at Concourses A and B. The existing checkpoint at Concourse C will be decommissioned upon completion of the new facility.

BWI Marshall will also construct an expansive airside connector to provide convenient and direct passenger access between Concourses A, B and C. The post-security connector would allow passenger access between the 14 airline gates on Concourse C with the 26 gates on Concourses A and B. The design includes new moving sidewalks and approximately 8,500 square feet of new food and retail space for BWI Marshall Airport travelers.

The airport also will renovate Concourse C to improve passenger circulation and improve airline gate hold rooms. The enhancements to Concourse C also include new concession space.

Completion of the improvements is anticipated in summer 2013. The approximately $100 million program will be funded primarily through revenues from Passenger Facility Charges (PFCs).