Nashville International Airport Renovation Project, Nashville, Tennessee, USA

Nashville International Airport is situated five miles southeast of Nashville and serves the southeastern regions of Tennessee. The airport receives on average 424 flights a day and 16 different airlines operate from the facility. In 2008 the airport handled almost 10 million passengers and about 79,000t of cargo.

The airport has four concourses A to D (D is not currently in use) and four runways, three asphalt and one paved with concrete, varying in length from just under 8,000ft to over 11,000ft. The terminal complex has a 900,000ft² passenger terminal with 61 air carrier gates. The airport has 78 commuter parking slots.

In 2005 the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority (MNAA) decided that the airport required a facelift and a degree of remedial work to keep it up to the standards expected by passengers, following 19 years of use since the last update. The terminal renovation is scheduled into three phases to be completed over a period of five years.

Architectural Alliance and Thomas and Miller and Partners, who formed a joint venture, were the design architects for the project. The first phase of the renovation works started in October 2006 and completed in January 2009 with an estimated cost of $47m. The $32m second phase of the project began in August 2009 and is scheduled for completion in February 2011.

Renovation work

In September 2006 the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority Board of Commissioners awarded the construction contract for the Nashville International Airport terminal renovation project to Brentwood-based Bell Construction Company for the first phase. The company's bid came in just under $37m.

The renovation included construction of a consolidated security checkpoint composed of 12 lanes centrally located on the third floor, flanked by decorative water walls.

There will also be 30 local and national brand-named food / beverage and news / gift concessions, a new HVAC system to improve temperature control, updated comfortable waiting areas, the installation of two 12ft flight monitors on the north and south ends of the terminal ticketing lobby and new windows in the terminal.

On 19 December 2008 Nashville International Airport opened a new exit with expanded area in front of concourse C. The area provides easy access to ground transportation and to the baggage claim in first floor level. The phase 2 construction work was awarded to Nashville-based Hardaway Construction Corp for a contract value of $17.85m.

The construction service will also be provided by the small, minority and women-owned owned business enterprise (SMWBE) partners, which represent 12.9% of the contract value. The companies involved in the construction services are Hermosa, Boulton Enterprises, Sunago Builders, TG, Gipson Mechanical, TN Coatings, Modular Designs of Memphis and Jarvis Signs.

Phase two involves the renovation of all existing restrooms and construction of larger restrooms on the ground transportation level. The phase is a major project involving renovation of the terminal's interiors. The project includes renovation of airline gate hold rooms, replacement of the HVAC units, enlargement of ticket lobby and replacement of all wall coverings with new and recycled contents.

The airport is also installing automatic sensors, hand dryers in the rest rooms and a new in-line explosive detection system (EDS) for improving the security of the baggage screening process. Phase three will begin in 2010 and involve concourse and terminal carpeting and elevator renovations.

Runway reconstruction

In August 2009 the oldest runway, 2L-20R, was closed and reconstruction was started with the aim of enhancing aircraft safety. The runway will have a grooved concrete surface and feature 35ft wide asphalt shoulders. The $24m project was awarded to Harper Company, along with 7.78% of the contact value to disadvantaged business enterprise (DBE) partners.

Subcontractors for DBE include Jen-Hill Construction Materials, Geotek Engineering, Lane Hauling and Excavating, Michael Harris Construction Company, Brighter Days and Nites, Randolph Trucking, Kathy Freeman Trucking and Southern Erosion Control. Air traffic will be handled by the remaining runways.

Concessions

Travel retailer Hudson Group and its partners were selected to upgrade the news / gift and specialty retail concession program at Nashville International Airport as part of the terminal renovation project. The available spaces were grouped into two separate packages.

Following a competitive bidding process, the MNAA awarded both packages (all the available retail space) to Hudson and its partners J&B Enterprises, CBR Inc and Olympic Supply Inc. The retail contract will run for ten years and the Hudson Group will provide a targeted mix of news stands, bookstores and specialty retail concepts that are specifically designed to meet the airport's requirements while capturing the distinctive sounds, flavours and spirit of Nashville.

The airport also restructured the restaurant services it provides by removing its central facility and introducing 23 smaller restaurant concessions mostly from the local area, which provide a range of food choices from burgers to Chinese, Mexican, Italian or just coffee.

Taxiway upgrade

In August 2006 the MNAA received a $1.3m federal grant from the US Department of Transportation (DOT) to aid in financing rehabilitation for taxiway T-2 at Nashville. DOT awarded the grant in support of the project, facilitating construction of the taxiway upgrade, which consists of a full depth reconstruction and new asphalt.

Located at the north end of runway 2L-20R, taxiway T-2 provides direct access to concourses A and B. The taxiway rehabilitation will allow the airport to continue its unrivalled safety record. This is just a small part of a $11m airfield improvement programme instigated in 2006, using funds obtained from DOT and the FAA.

MNAA has also designed a terminal access roadway improvement (TARI) project to improve traffic on the one-way road that surrounds parking facilities around the terminal. The first phase of the TARI project started in October 2008 and is scheduled for completion in 2009.