California Senators Alex Padilla and Dianne Feinstein secured $20 million to help fund the San Diego International Airport’s Terminal 1 Project, airport authorities recently announced.
The funding is part of $139.5 million in grant funding from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to find projects for eight airports across the state, including San Diego International Airport’s $3.4 billion Terminal 1 (T1) project. According to Kimberly Becker, President and CEO of the Airport Authority, the New T1 project is the largest construction project in the County of San Diego’s Regional Airport Authority’s history.
“This latest round of federal dollars coming to California will make our airports safer and more accessible to passengers, with upgrades to modernize terminals and improve energy efficiency,'' Padilla said. “This is a big win that creates jobs and improves the experience for the millions of Californians and visitors who travel through our airports.''
President Joe Biden signed a $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill in Nov. 2021 that will deliver funds for aging infrastructure. Of those funds, $20 billion will be allocated to airports nationwide in ensuring safe travel and improve connectivity.
San Diego Airport officials began construction of the new T1 in Nov. 2021, which was expected to create 15,000 to 20,000 construction-related jobs in the span of five years under a project labor agreement. The new T1 is set to improve the airlift, transportation connectivity to the airport, and a new facility for the Airport Authority administration.
The new T1 is divided into three components, Terminals & Roadways, Air-side Improvements, and a new Administration Building. The Administration Building component will be the first building to be completed within the New T1 program with an anticipated opening date in late 2023. It will be delivered by Sundt Construction, Inc. with HOK as the lead architect.
The first phase of completion will include 19 gates, an elevated departures roadway, outdoor check-in pavilions, a dedicated, on-airport arrivals roadway, and a five-story parking plaza. The earliest opening for the first phase is in mid-2025. The second phase will add 11 gates for a total of 30 gates. The earliest opening for the second phase is in late 2027.
The Airside Improvements component is being delivered by contractor Griffith Company and will allow for more efficient aircraft movements and ground traffic flow for the new terminal. The earliest completion date for all projects within the Airside Improvements component will be mid-2028.
“When the project is complete, the terminal will provide the customer experience our community deserves and make our airport more attractive to the millions of people who want to visit our beautiful city,'' Becker said in a statement. The nearly $140 million in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law also includes grants to several other Southern California airports, including LAX, Hollywood/Burbank Airport, and Palm Springs International Airport, to upgrade, modernize and rebuild terminals, air traffic control towers, and other facilities.”
Both Padilla and Feinstein voted to pass the infrastructure bill. Last summer, the senators announced nearly $100 million in airport infrastructure grant funding for the state's airports.
The FAA will give airports across the nation will a slice of $12 billion over the next several years.
