Ground was broken in August on the $165 million West Gate expansion to the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas.
"This is just the start of a series of transformative airport projects that will modernize and improve the AUS experience for everyone," said Mayor Kirk Watson at the groundbreaking. "We know more is needed, and more is coming to make travel comfortable, exciting and easy. The Journey With AUS will bring unique changes to the traveler experience as we navigate turning this 24/7 facility into an active construction site. The flurry of construction activities mixed with passengers and airport operations will be a big change for our community as we make progress on this project and other expansion projects, like a new concourse, but it will be worth it to have a home airport every Austinite can be proud of."
The 84,500-square-foot project on three levels will add a new mezzanine, three new gates, more passenger amenities and the replacement of 12 boarding bridges. Construction activity and temporary walls and barriers will be present for the next three years; the I Vini restaurant kiosk will be closed permanently in January.
Also coming are five new waiting areas, additional restrooms, a children's play area, a meditation/quiet room, family and nursing rooms, and a pet-relief area. The new mezzanine will have an outdoor balcony and an indoor viewing area overlooking the concourse.
Soon to finish up are improvements to the terminal's restrooms, particularly in the east and west food courts. In early November, work will begin on the demolition of the existing baggage-claim's ceiling to make room for system upgrades. To start, much of this work will take place at night.
The work is being undertaken in an environmentally conscious way, with a goal of reaching a three-star sustainability certification from Austin Energy Green Building. No local Austin taxpayer dollars will be used to fund the project. Moneys for the improvements will come from traditional airport development sources, such as airport cash reserves, current and future airport revenues, and future revenue bond proceeds.