"Salt Lake Airport to Undergo Renovations"

Monday, November 1, 2004

Salt Lake Airport to Undergo Renovations
By Tonya Papanikolas
KSL-TV CH 5 (NBC), Salt Lake City (UT)
 

The Salt Lake International Airport will soon undergo renovations. Airport
officials say it's necessary to help ease the bottleneck that can occur
during their peak travel times. 

You're going to see changes in the baggage claims, the areas where you wait
to pick up passengers, and even at some of the security checkpoints. The
construction will start after the holiday season is over. The airport says
it will do everything it can to complete the improvements without slowing
down passengers. 

If you've been to the airport lately, you've likely seen a lot of orange
barrels outside. The airport is planning to consolidate their outdoor
parking lots and improve their roads. But the renovation will soon move
inside as well. 

Tim Campbell, Exec. Dir, Salt Lake Int'l Airport: "We just have a serious
congestion problem during our peak times with people waiting for
passengers." 

Since 9/11, when family and friends could no longer get past security, the
waiting area has gotten a little crowded. 

Brian Parker, Waiting for a Passenger: "It would be kind of ideal if they
had something more suited for people waiting for their loved ones to come
off the airplane." 

Jacque Scot, Waiting for a Passenger: "It's hard to get people down off the
escalators and you know, get back up and get their baggage. It's nice, it'd
be great if it was renovated." 

So starting in February, the airport will renovate the baggage claims,
consolidating the carousels in Terminal 1 and moving them in Terminal 2. 

Tim Campbell: "We're actually gonna slide them down towards the end of the
building. We're gonna put a small addition at that end and create almost
8,000 square feet." 

That space will become the newer improved greeting area. Then there's the
security checkpoint. Passengers at terminal 2 often have to wait in long
lines, so the airport will widen the "sky bridge" leading up to security,
and add two more checkpoints to ease traffic. 

Brian Parker: "Anything would help out, make it a little more pleasant
journey here at the airport, whether you're coming or going." 

The airport will also move the baggage screening machines from the lobby and
add a concession area on the first floor. 

Airport officials say customers may have to endure a little construction,
but the end result will be worth it. 

Tim Campbell: "I think overall, people will be very pleased." 

The construction is expected to take two years to complete. As we mentioned,
it will begin in February and it will happen in phases. The first phase of
the project will be remodeling the baggage claims in both terminals.

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