Progress has been made with the $600 million terminal lobby expansion project for Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) in North Carolina, with two new pedestrian skybridges being unveiled.
Starting from July 31, 2024, the newly built bridges will link CLT’s hourly parking and rental car facility to the terminal, eliminating the need for road crossings. This change will not impact passengers who use shuttles, rideshares and drop-off services.
“We are thrilled to mark another milestone in the Terminal Lobby Expansion project with the opening of the two skybridges,” Jack Christine, Chief Infrastructure Officer, said in a press release. “Pedestrians will experience enhanced safety with efficient access to the terminal away from traffic and ensuring smoother vehicle traffic flow.”
The newly constructed skybridges cover an area of 146,000 square feet (14,000 square meters) on the fifth floor of the hourly deck, linking it to the third level in the terminal lobby.
The bridges will enhance existing underground walkways, allowing travelers to move between parking lots and the terminal.
The terminal lobby expansion project, which has been underway for many years, has now reached the fifth of six stages. The main goal of CLT is to convert the terminal to cater more efficiently to the annual traffic of 2.8 million passengers using it.
In 2023, Charlotte-Douglas reported a record-breaking 53.4 million passengers passing through CLT. Of the 26.7 million passengers who exited CLT, 8.3 million (31%) opted to go via the terminal lobby.