TPA expansion projects continue to advance during slowdown
Tampa International Airport continues to take advantage of a drop in passenger traffic to advance critical construction projects that will help better position the Airport for years to come.
Over the past six months, TPA has made rapid progress on numerous enhancements, including eight new express curbside lanes for passengers without checked luggage, a nine story office building, a modern central utility plant and a critical roadway expansion project.
Many of these projects are ahead of schedule due to lower passenger numbers, which gives workers the ability to work longer hours without impacting passengers.
“We know passengers will come back and these projects are critical to providing a top-notch experience for all our guests,” said Vice President of Planning & Development Jeff Siddle. “We are happy to use this slow period to complete some construction projects that would be extremely impactful.”
TPA currently four major Master Plan Phase 2 projects under construction as well as several smaller capital improvement projects, such as roof replacements and airfield repair.
Blue curbsides and central utility plant
One of TPA’s most innovative – and passenger-centric – projects are TPA’s new express curbside lanes. The new lanes will make it faster and easier for visitors to get picked up and dropped off, allowing guests to go directly from curbsides to the Main Terminal’s third floor transfer level. This allows guests to completely bypass the ticketing level.
The curbsides and adjacent vertical circulation building are out of the ground and going vertical, with a completion date expected in early 2022.
The nearby central utility plant, which provides a much-needed modernization of TPA’s utilities, is also beginning to go vertical and is on pace for a late 2021 completion date.
Roadway expansion
TPA’s George J. Bean Parkway is the primary road passengers use to get in and out of Tampa International Airport – and it’s critical that it is wide enough to handle the number of guests expected in the future.
The Airport is currently in the midst of adding one lane to each sides of the inbound and outbound Parkway, allowing the Airport to handle more than 34 million passengers per year. This widening project is well ahead of the original schedule due to the drop in traffic and is currently on pace to finish in late 2021. In addition to the extra lanes, the project also modernizes the overhead signage to help improve navigation around the airport.
SkyCenter One
TPA, along with VanTrust Real Estate, is building a nine-story office building, a connected atrium and other facilities.
The office building, known as SkyCenter One, has officially topped out and crews are installing thousands of square feet of glass curtain walls. The building’s exterior is expected to be complete in October.
Inside the building, rooms are getting framed out. The Hillsborough County Aviation Authority, which manages TPA, will occupy three of the building’s floors and the official move-in date is slated for Spring 2022.
The completion date for the adjacent SkyCenter atrium is even closer with a wrap-up date of early 2021.
Taxiway A Bridge
Finally, last but not least, is the construction of a new Taxiway A Bridge. This bridge provides a vital link between TPA’s primary runways and continues to track on budget and ahead of schedule. Crews are busy working on the foundations, bridge deck and taxiway pavement – as well as the supporting infrastructure.
When complete, TPA will have three bridges that link its two primary runways.