Salt Lake International Airport Development Thread

[locolife]

Originally Posted by Hatman

The Sky Train in Phoenix is awesome. It's the only place I can think of where a bridge goes over a taxiway, rather than under it:


I still can't figure out why it does this, since it goes under several other taxiways further west on its route.

But the Sky train is a totally different beast than what is proposed in SLC. Sky Train is 2.4 miles. Systems such as the Minneapolis, Cincinnati, and Detroit airport people movers are all about a half mile in length, if that.

I did find that I was wrong about some of the people movers I've ridden on. Atlanta and Denver both use self-propelled vehicles, so I guess my theory isn't totally correct.

One day, I hope there will be a skytrain connection from the Welcome Center, where the elevated TRAX station was supposed to go, all the way to the railroad tracks south of I-80. That is a distance of 2 miles, and a connection could be made there to the future* Tooele commuter rail line. In that case, an elevated automated train would make the most sense, and you'd get some pretty spectacular views.

That should be totally possible in SLC, the current PHX Sky train is 2.4 miles but the extension opening next year is another 2.5 miles which connects the airport directly to the rental car center, so it’ll be about 5 miles when done. I don’t know why it goes over the taxiway other than it most of been cheaper than going under but I love those views. The wiki page says it’s the only one in the world that does this and it’s tall enough to allow an A-380 to go beneath it.

[N830MH]

Originally Posted by locolife

That should be totally possible in SLC, the current PHX Sky train is 2.4 miles but the extension opening next year is another 2.5 miles which connects the airport directly to the rental car center, so it’ll be about 5 miles when done. I don’t know why it goes over the taxiway other than it most of been cheaper than going under but I love those views. The wiki page says it’s the only one in the world that does this and it’s tall enough to allow an A-380 to go beneath it.

That is correct! Next PHX Skytrain phase 2 go to 24th St station and Rental Car Center. Schedule to open in late Summer 2022.

[Reeder113]

The SLC Airport held a Topping Out Ceremony today, placing the highest beam of the new Concourse A-East, currently under construction.



https://twitter.com/SLCgov/status/14...782459908?s=20

[Reeder113]

.

[Blah_Amazing]

https://www.ksl.com/article/50265209...n-second-phase

KSL: Salt Lake City airport to expand restaurant, retail space in second phase

[Atlas]

A UTA driver on the TRAX bus bridge told me yesterday that the new airport TRAX station opens tomorrow. Here's a photo:



Also, here's a photo of the tunnel from about 10 minutes ago:

[ajiuO]

I drove by on Tuesday and it looked like it was open then. That’s where the trains were parked at least.

[Reeder113]

Originally Posted by Atlas

Also, here's a photo of the tunnel from about 10 minutes ago:

It seems strange to me that this tunnel isn't expected to open until 2024. Look at how much progress has been done in a year.

[Atlas]

Originally Posted by Reeder113

It seems strange to me that this tunnel isn't expected to open until 2024. Look at how much progress has been done in a year.

Yeah, that's what I was thinking too. I wonder if the tunnel itself will be finished and will be unused until the structure on the other side is extended. As you can see in the image, Concourse B doesn't actually extend far enough east to meet with the tunnel yet.

[Reeder113]

Originally Posted by Atlas

Yeah, that's what I was thinking too. I wonder if the tunnel itself will be finished and will be unused until the structure on the other side is extended. As you can see in the image, Concourse B doesn't actually extend far enough east to meet with the tunnel yet.

Yeah, could be.

[ucsbgaucho]

TRAX station is officially open now. Not my image but shared on Twitter from a passenger today.

[N830MH]

Originally Posted by Atlas

Also, here's a photo of the tunnel from about 10 minutes ago:

Wow! It's really coming along nicely!! Getting there! It's perfect!!

PS please posts a pictures of concourse A east construction. Thanks for your understanding.

[J-Squad]

I live a sad life, so I’ve never flown on a plane before. However, I’m going to NYC in March, so that will be my first time inside the new airport. Super excited, and I plan to take loads of good pictures of buildings in NYC for us to gawk at (I’m actually going there on a photography field trip, I’m pretty good with a camera guys :p)

[delts145]

J-Squad, I'm looking forward to seeing picture updates from you of Salt Lake City Developments. Go to this link https://skyscraperpage.com/forum/sho...30#post9434830

[CONative]

Originally Posted by Hatman

The Sky Train in Phoenix is awesome. It's the only place I can think of where a bridge goes over a taxiway, rather than under it:


I still can't figure out why it does this, since it goes under several other taxiways further west on its route.

But the Sky train is a totally different beast than what is proposed in SLC. Sky Train is 2.4 miles. Systems such as the Minneapolis, Cincinnati, and Detroit airport people movers are all about a half mile in length, if that.

I did find that I was wrong about some of the people movers I've ridden on. Atlanta and Denver both use self-propelled vehicles, so I guess my theory isn't totally correct.

One day, I hope there will be a skytrain connection from the Welcome Center, where the elevated TRAX station was supposed to go, all the way to the railroad tracks south of I-80. That is a distance of 2 miles, and a connection could be made there to the future* Tooele commuter rail line. In that case, an elevated automated train would make the most sense, and you'd get some pretty spectacular views.

Denver's skybridge that goes from the Terminal to Concourse A is a bridge over an active taxi-way.

https://csengineermag.com/denver-int...h-anniversary/

[Boz]

Originally Posted by CONative

Denver's skybridge that goes from the Terminal to Concourse A is a bridge over an active taxi-way.

https://csengineermag.com/denver-int...h-anniversary/

Wow.

[downtownslcresident]

Originally Posted by Reeder113

It seems strange to me that this tunnel isn't expected to open until 2024. Look at how much progress has been done in a year.

The reason is because the B concourse extension will have to be finished before it will connect to the tunnel, and they cannot start the B concourse extension until after the A gates open, because that location is currently where the bus bridge stations are located at for the temporary hard stand gates.

The resurgence in air travel caught the airport with their pants around their ankles and left the airport with significantly less gate space than is needed right now, resulting in the construction of additional hard stand gates for use by SkyWest, United, and Southwest. They cannot relocate or decommission these without replacement gate space that can only be provided by the A concourse expansion.

It's not ideal, but there is a reason for it.

[Reeder113]

Originally Posted by downtownslcresident

The reason is because the B concourse extension will have to be finished before it will connect to the tunnel, and they cannot start the B concourse extension until after the A gates open, because that location is currently where the bus bridge stations are located at for the temporary hard stand gates.

The resurgence in air travel caught the airport with their pants around their ankles and left the airport with significantly less gate space than is needed right now, resulting in the construction of additional hard stand gates for use by SkyWest, United, and Southwest. They cannot relocate or decommission these without replacement gate space that can only be provided by the A concourse expansion.

It's not ideal, but there is a reason for it.

Yeah, that all makes perfect sense. I remember when the pandemic first hit and they were telling us it'd be 2024 before air travel likely returned to pre-pandemic volume.

[StevenF]

Even though people started flying again with numbers close to pre-pandemic numbers I think the full demolition of the original SLC airport was a good idea. Fast-tracking the completion of A & B concourses will be a great benefit to Utah and its economy. We have also been told doing so will save considerable millions of dollars because of the early demolition of the old SLC airport. A couple of years of discomfort will hopefully bring rewards.

[Sight-Seer]

There's something wrong with the scale of that photo. The train cars look almost as big as the jet. I don't think the tail or the wings of a jet would fit under the bridge. It's a trick photo, but sort of interesting.