North Carolina Construction News staff writer
Charlotte Douglas International Airport has celebrated the near completion of its Terminal Lobby Expansion (TLE), the largest passenger-facing construction project in the airport’s history and a signature element of its Destination CLT capital program.
Substantial completion of the five-year, $608-million project is set for Oct. 1. The expansion adds 175,000 square feet of new lobby space and renovates another 191,000 square feet, transforming a terminal originally designed in 1982 for 2.8 million annual passengers into a facility serving more than 58.8 million travellers in 2024.
“The Terminal Lobby Expansion is a transformational milestone for CLT,” said airport CEO Haley Gentry. “This monumental effort represents years of planning, construction and commitment to improving the passenger experience. The result is a modern, spacious lobby that reflects the dynamic growth of our region and positions us for the future.”
A ceremonial groundbreaking was held in December 2019, with work beginning after the holiday season. The project remained on schedule despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. To limit disruption, the expansion was completed in six phases while maintaining passenger operations.
The TLE caps a coordinated three-project construction sequence that began with the Hourly Parking Deck in 2015, followed by the Elevated Roadway in 2019, and then the lobby expansion. The construction contract was awarded to Holder–Edison Foard–R.J. Leeper, a joint venture, with design led by Gresham Smith.
Key elements of the expansion include:
- Expanded basement, baggage claim and ticketing levels.
- A 146,000-square-foot canopy protecting passengers from the elements.
- Pedestrian bridges linking the mezzanine to the Hourly Deck and underground walkways that bypass terminal traffic.
- New pre-security concessions, 11 public art installations, and a full-service restaurant.
- Four automated exit lanes and expanded TSA checkpoints, consolidating five lettered checkpoints into three numbered ones, with lanes increased from 17 to 21, including 11 automated screening lanes.
- Eight new high-capacity baggage devices.
The Queen Charlotte statue, a 16-foot bronze landmark first installed in 1990, was restored, relocated and unveiled in the new Queens Court area of the lobby in 2023.
The $608-million project was financed through passenger facility charge revenues, customer facility charge revenues, general airport revenue bonds and airport cash. The airport operates as a self-sustaining city enterprise fund and does not receive local tax dollars.
With the completion of Concourse A – Phase II last September and the Terminal Lobby Expansion this fall, the airport’s total footprint has grown from 1.8 million to 2.4 million square feet.