Virginia’s Tidewater region is getting in on America’s airport upgrade movement.
Norfolk International Airport arrived at another milestone in its $1 billion TransformORF program. The undertaking is the airport’s largest modernization push since 1974.
The regional airport, which serves 5 million passengers annually traveling to coastal Virginia and northeast North Carolina, opened a three-gate expansion in Concourse A and new concession offerings, according to an April 17 news release. American Airlines will be using the newest gates, while Breeze Airways will move into Concourse A later this spring.
Newport News, Virginia-based W.M. Jordan served as the construction manager at risk for the Concourse A expansion as well as a recent new customs facility, according to the contractor’s website.
The concourse addition spans almost 19,000 square feet over two levels. It includes expansive seating for travelers at gates A10 through A12 and floor-to-ceiling views of the airfield. Other amenities include additional restrooms as well as an indoor pet relief area.
Other contractors performing work on the overall TransformORF project include Norfolk-based Tazewell Contracting and Wisconsin-based Antigo Construction. In addition, Kansas City, Missouri-based J.E. Dunn and Richmond, Virginia-based Hourigan are expanding and modernizing the terminal, as well as constructing a parking administration building, according to a Norfolk Airport Authority LinkedIn post.
Cities from Sacramento, California, to Tampa, Florida, have been pursuing $1 billion-plus projects in recent years to upgrade their airport infrastructure.
The concourse additions in Norfolk follow the recent debut of ORF’s upgraded Federal Inspection Services facility where U.S. Customs and Border Protection now process international arrivals. That $31 million project took W.M. Jordan approximately 18 months to complete and received $13.5 million in federal funds, according to a Feb. 20 news release.
Other work currently underway for TransformORF includes roadway realignments to improve airport access. Further, a consolidated rental car facility is slated to break ground later this year.
