San Antonio International Airport Expansion, United States of America

San Antonio International Airport is on a 1,200-acre site situated just north of the city near the northeast corner of the I-410/US 281 intersection (roads are also undergoing improvement).

The airport handled 8,034,720 domestic and international passengers in 2010. The airport is in the midst of an important expansion project (from the second master plan developed in 1994), which will see new terminal buildings and also new car park facilities.

At the airport there are two terminals with 24 jet-bridge gates (three rarely-used ground-loading gates).

The original terminal (terminal 2), which was opened in 1953 and has been expanded a number of times, has east and west wings and an eight-gate satellite concourse.

Terminal 1 (360,000ft²) which opened in 1984 has a 16-gate concourse. The airport expansion project (including Stinson Airport projects) is costing $635m.

Master plan for the San Antonio International Airport

The airport's long-term master plan, Vision 2050, was approved by the city council in March 2011. The master plan includes forecasts of aviation demand, a three-phased implementation plan, cost estimates, a financial plan and an analysis of the environmental impacts of future development. The project is estimated to cost around $191m for short term improvements. The short term improvements include renovation of terminal A, a new six-storey car rental facility, acquisition of land outside the airport property for additional parking spaces, and reservation of on-site parcels for development of aviation, aircraft maintenance and manufacturing facilities.

The plan also includes additional funds of $815m for capital projects implemented over 20 years. The projects include control of runway protection zones, expansion of the runway (12L-30R) from a general runway to an air carrier runway, expansion of Terminal A, building a new terminal C and preserving land for further expansion in future.

San Antonio construction work

The airport already has several parking garages including a two-storey parking garage near terminal one and a five-storey garage opened in 1999. A new five-storey parking garage was partially opened in December 2007 with 1,200 spaces.

The five-level structure has 1,100,000ft² (102,000m²) and 2,800 spaces constructed on a site adjacent to existing parking garages (a further 1,600 spaces were opened at the south end in July 2008).

A new two-level eight-gate concourse was completed in 2008 and was opened in November 2010. Terminal two is being demolished and will be replaced by terminal C.

Terminal one has been renamed as terminal A, and the newly constructed concourse is called terminal B (204,000ft²). The terminal B located between the terminal 1 and terminal 2 was opened to public in November 2010. As a new phase, terminal C will then start construction in 2012 and is expected to be completed by 2015.

The new terminal C (176,000ft² – due for completion in 2015) will be constructed to the west of terminal two. It will have five gates and will then later be expanded to 11 gates. The total number of jet bridges at the airport will be 28 after the first phase of terminal C but will eventually be 35 gates.

In addition to the terminal construction work the two-level road in front of terminal one will be expanded for the extra capacity of the new terminal B and terminal C.

Contractors involved

A joint venture of Bartlett Cocke Contractors, Walbridge and HNTB Corporation was the contractor responsible for the design and construction of the parking garage completed in January 2008.