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Construction at airport goes on at robust pace

Guillermo X. Garcia - Express-News

Despite the troubled economy and rapidly escalating costs, construction continues on schedule on the decade-long, $636 million San Antonio International Airport expansion project.

The City Council, without comment, approved paying nearly $7 million to a number of vendors on Thursday as it bid farewell to Aviation Director Mark Webb, who has overseen the massive construction project.

In 2005, when planning began, the price tag was $425 million, although plans have been refined and more projects added.

Escalating fuel, material and labor costs also contributed to the rising cost, airport officials said.

In June, ground was broken on an eight-gate Terminal B, which will replace an aging Terminal 2.

Its cost has risen from $100 million to $138 million, according to airport officials.

Construction began around the same time on an elevated roadway to handle the increased vehicular traffic into the airport generated by the new terminals. Its cost rose from $38 million to $41 million.

Both of those projects are scheduled to be finished in 2010.

By 2015, when the dust has finally settled and all construction is completed, the city will have transformed what was once a sleepy regional airport into a sleek, three-terminal facility, said Webb, whose 14-year career with the city ended Thursday.

The project is funded entirely through airport revenue rather than local tax dollars.

One of the items approved Thursday was a $5 million payment with 3D/International for construction documents and design work on the planned Terminal C, which Webb said could be built starting next spring or summer “if market conditions allow.”

The cost of that terminal has risen from $91 million to $110 million, airport officials said.

The additional terminal would add five to 11 more passenger gates, as needed. The additional gates would bring the total to 35.

Currently, there are 39 nonstop markets served out of San Antonio.

As more nonstop flights have been added and San Antonio has grown, the number of passengers using the facility has increased.

The airport topped 8 million passengers in 2007, the third record in a row, and while airport traffic nationally has fallen, traffic here between January and July is running nearly 6 percent higher than the same period in 2007, according to airport spokesman David Hebert.

In July alone, airport passenger traffic increased 11 percent over July 2007.

“We have a high level of optimism that the trend of record growth we have experienced in 2005-06-07 will continue,” Hebert said.

The council also approved a $1.2 million payment for design of furniture, fixtures and equipment at Terminals B and C; design of a baggage screening system for Terminals 1 and B and apron paving or regrading for Terminals B and C. Also completed this summer was the last of 2,800 spaces in a five-level parking garage, bringing total airport parking to 9,000 spots.

Appointed director in 2006 after a stint as interim head, Webb begins his new job Friday as vice president of facilities and project management at University Health System, where he will oversee a $900 million capital improvements program.