CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia International Yeager Airport board has approved a key next step in its ongoing modernization work.
The board rubber-stamped the Terminal Enabling Construction Project, which is part of Phase Three of the CRW Next plan, during its meeting on Wednesday. Yeager’s construction board met last week and received two bids to facilitate that phase, with an apparent low bid of $15 million from Swope Construction.
Yeager Airport Director and CEO Dominique Ranieri said that this is an important next step.
“That enables the next phase of CRW Next, so everything that will happen post-security,” Ranieri said. “What this does is allows us to move some of the utilities, get everything ready so that that site is available for construction of the next phase.”
Ranieri said that the project was made possible through Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) funding. She said two of the three gates will remain operational during the work.
“Part of the terminal that will be shut down to enable us to expand the terminals is actually the C gates,” Ranieri said. “That’s currently where the American Airlines flights take out of. So, that traffic will be moved over to the B and A gates.”
As for the ‘enabling’ project itself, Ranieri said that it will facilitate traffic during the construction phase. She said there will be lots of moving pieces when it happens.
“We will make some improvements within the terminal to be ready to support the moving of all of that operation in those gates to other parts of the airport,” Ranieri said. “So, some restroom improvements and things like that, moving up a boarding bridge just to make everyone as comfortable as possible during construction of the expansion.”
This phase also includes the eventual demolition of Concourse C and the relocation of Taxiway B. Ranieri said that they’ll award the bid to the apparent low bidder at a future meeting. All in all, she said, it will take some time. When the work actually happens, Ranieri promised there will be plenty of signage. She said likely, things won’t go in motion until next spring.
Phase Two, work on the facility before security, is currently in progress. Ranieri said they’re making gradual progress.
“Right now, they are finalizing some flooring in the current stage of that renovation pre-security in the areas that they’re in,” Ranieri said. “Then, those walls will move again and start over with additional flooring, new ticket counter improvements, also updating that older bag belt that’s in baggage claim. That’s all part of the next phase of that project.”
FAA infrastructure upgrades
Ranieri also updated the board that the FAA plans to update its air traffic control equipment at Yeager.
“The FAA is going to make some improvements here at CRW to some of the air traffic control infrastructure,” Ranieri explained. “We will be having some work done on our radar system here at the airport that will happen in January, and then they’re also going to bring in some new technology within the tower itself, communication infrastructure.”
She said there could be some extra cranes at the airport as that work occurs.