The Salt Lake City (SLC) Department of Airports in Utah, US, has officially opened the new $80m Central Tunnel as part of Phase 3 of its redevelopment programme.
The Central Tunnel was constructed to reduce walking time for passengers.
Phase 3 of the SLC redevelopment programme also includes Concourse B Plaza, 12 concessions and, initially, five Delta Air Lines’ gates.
The tunnel, which connects Concourses A and B, will cut the previous walking distance nearly in half. This is expected to address a long-standing challenge since the opening of the airport’s first phase of the redevelopment programme in 2020.
Passengers travelling to Concourse B previously faced a walk of almost 1.6km. The newly opened 1,175-foot-long tunnel is designed to enhance passenger flow.
The Central Tunnel is equipped with six moving walkways, making it easier and faster to navigate between the concourses. It also supports baggage transport, allowing luggage to reach the baggage carousel in just 10 minutes.
Construction of the tunnel involved approximately 53km of steel piles for support. Additionally, the project incorporated 3,825 tons of rebar and 48,118 cubic yards of concrete.
The tunnel volume is estimated to be 2,247,775ft3.
Besides, Phase 3 features ‘The River Tunnel’, a large-scale art installation by Gordon Huether, which reflects Utah’s natural rivers and canyons. It also includes other art pieces celebrating the state’s beauty, including the reinstallation of the iconic World Map from the former Terminal 1.
Salt Lake City Department of Airports executive director Bill Wyatt said: “With today’s opening of Phase 3 we have reached an extraordinary milestone in The New SLC Redevelopment Program.
“We have built an airport that is convenient, inspiring, flexible, sustainable and provides our passengers with a first-class experience.”
Construction on the airport’s new redevelopment project began in July 2014. Phase 1 opened in autumn 2020 while Phase 2 was completed in autumn 2023.
Additional gates are set to open in autumn 2025, with the entire project slated for completion in 2026, bringing the total number of aircraft gates to 94.
