Dive Brief:
- Will Rogers International Airport in Oklahoma City has unveiled a 25-year expansion plan, according to a city announcement.
- The proposal, called “Cleared for Takeoff”, outlines three expansion phases to accommodate up to 20 million passengers annually, up from 4.6 million, Jeff Mulder, Oklahoma City director of airports, said in the Oct. 13 release.
- Infrastructure upgrades already underway at the airport include terminal flooring replacements and terminal drive rehabilitation, according to the release.
Dive Insight:
The expansion plan aims to improve terminal capacity and parking shortages as Oklahoma City prepares for future passenger growth, according to the airport’s master plan.
The plan identified a shortage of public parking, particularly with covered close-in and premium parking. Terminal curbside capacity deficiencies also resulted in congestion throughout the year and during the busiest hours of the day, according to the master plan document.
The first phase, which accommodates up to 6 million annual passengers, includes the addition and demolition of parking garages and terminal rehabilitation work. Later phases will ultimately expand the terminal concourse from 17 to 40 gates and install a light rail passenger connection to downtown Oklahoma City, according to the master plan.
The Oklahoma City Airport Trust tapped architecture, engineering and construction services firm Mead & Hunt to assist with terminal programming and cost estimating, according to a company news release. The Middleton, Wisconsin-based company described the plan as a multibillion-dollar program.
