The Salt Lake City International Airport unveils the first phase of a $4.1 billion state-of-the art facility after decades of planning and several years of construction. This new airport is the first hub airport in the 21st century and is the largest public works project in Utah’s history. The first phase of the project opened in the fall of 2020 and included a new central terminal, west portions of two linear concourses, and a parking garage to support future anticipated growth. The east portions of the two concourses are expected to be completed by 2024.

The parking garage is five-levels with 3,600 spaces, twice the capacity of the previous parking facility. It uses a camera-based sensor system to indicate open parking spots. As an added convenience, passengers will have the option of being able to check their luggage in the garage kiosks. Each level of the garage is 361,600 square feet adding up to a total of 1,808,000 square feet. Located on the upper level stands two rows of roof atrium scissor trusses each spanning 18,385 square feet. At levels 3, 4, and 5 there are large openings underneath the skylights allowing natural light to illuminate these portions of the parking structure during the daylight hours.

To accomplish this development vision after decades of planning, the Salt Lake City Department of Airports (SLCDA) partnered with two construction managers, Holder | Big D A joint venture (HDJV) and Austin | Okland Construction A joint venture (AOJV). The parking garage was awarded to HDJV. Salt Lake City is one of few cities in the world to build an entirely new replacement airport beside its existing facility without interrupting operations. The original airport was built more than 50 years ago and designed to accommodate 10 million passengers annually. In recent years the aging facilities were seeing more than twice the amount of travelers for which it was originally designed. Upon completion of the second phase in 2024 the airport will have 78 gates all with jet ways, an increase from the original airport which had 71 gates and 55 jet bridges. The new airport will be able to handle 34 million passengers a year, is an important economic driver for Utah’s capital city as well as the rest of the state and will help attract more business and tourism.

Tubes, rolled beams, beams, angles, plate, flat bar, stairs, hand rail, and miscellaneous fabricated steel were hot-dip galvanized through two galvanizing facilities. Both plants were busy with high volumes of work during this time period which made it challenging to meet the tight turn-times required. Eighty-four roof scissor trusses were processed through one of the galvanizing locations. The 12” x 20” x 66’ fabricated tubes required a progressive dip which presented some challenges, so special precautions were put in place to ensure safe handling. They only processed two roof trusses at a time with bridge cranes supporting them throughout the entire galvanizing process to avoid potential damage to the process tanks. Also, due to the constraints of the oversized material, this was the only product processed through the facility during this time. A second galvanizer processed the rolled beams supporting the upper level of the spiral driveway entrance and exit of the garage.

Due to the open-air design of the parking structure, hot-dip galvanizing was specified to protect the architecturally exposed steel from the elements. The galvanized steel is an integral part of the upper level of the parking structure and its durability and corrosion resistance make it well suited for this type of environment. The galvanized coating will provide maintenance-free protection of the steel for decades to come.

This new state-of-the art facility has many additional as well as new amenities to offer passengers. The terminal has 45-foot windows offering views of the Wasatch Mountains and the airfield. The new concourses are more spacious with more dining and retail options. More seating is available with each seat having an outlet for electronics, more restrooms with larger stalls to accommodate space for baggage or small children. The South terminal is Delta Air Lines second-largest hub and houses the largest Delta Sky Club in the world. There are 16 high-tech security screening lanes that are much faster for travelers. A large Greeting Room is another addition to the new airport that includes a fireplace where up to 400 friends and family can be accommodated while picking up passengers.

The Covid-19 pandemic has tremendously affected air travel the last several months. Although air travel has recently started to pick up slightly, the industry anticipates that it may take another 2-3 years to fully recover from the pandemic. As the industry continues to recover, this new state-of-the-art airport facility including the parking garage will be ready to accommodate the projected amount additional travelers and their family and friends who are either seeing them off, welcoming them home or just for a visit for decades to come.