October 2023 On the Scene: Expansion and Acquisition
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (ABIA) broke ground Aug. 30 on a $164-million West Gate Expansion with Hensel Phelps as the project's general contractor. The expansion will increase the airport by nearly 85,000 sq ft over three levels of apron, concourse and mezzanine space, said Dwight Runkels, operations manager for Hensel Phelps. The expansion is part of a $6.5-billion upgrade plan that started in February 2023. The plan includes 61 upgrades over the next two decades, Runkels added. Additional upgrades include a new concourse, 10 additional gates as well as an underground tunnel that will link the airport’s existing buildings. This expansion will add additional seating areas, the largest bathrooms in any of the terminals, private rooms for nursing mothers and a third-level outdoor public patio with a view of Austin’s skyline. The expansion is slated to open in 2026.
At its construction peak, the onsite workforce was estimated to reach between 170-200 workers. This contract returns Hensel Phelps to ABIA, where the firm had previously completed projects, including the Terminal East Infill and baggage claim, Runkels said.