"Explosives screener set for Pennsylvania airport"

Saturday, February 18, 2006

Explosives screener set for airport
New $36 million airport terminal, now 90 percent done, will have device for
faster baggage reviews.
By JERRY LYNOTT
The Wilkes Barre (PA) Times-Leader


PITTSTON TWP. - Construction costs continue to rise at the new airport
terminal as the $36 million project nears completion.

The latest list of change orders totaled $1,271,756, mostly for costs
associated with an explosives detection system to screen baggage.

"There's going to be more of them (changes)," acknowledged airport director
Barry Centini after the airport board's monthly meeting Thursday. "Even
though they're changes we're getting reimbursed for them, or should be
anyway."

Ground was broken for the terminal in October 2003. At the time it was
estimated to cost $29 million. But the most recent figures released by the
airport placed the total project cost at $36,192,236.

The terminal is nearly 90 percent complete and set to be finished by the end
of March. Airport officials have yet to announce a date for the transfer of
operations from the old terminal.

Adding to the increase is the Computer Tomography X-ray Model 2500. The
machine has been used at the Lehigh Valley International Airport near
Allentown, according to the federal Transportation Security Administration.

TSA spokesman Darrin Kayser said that as airports upgrade to newer
technology equipment, the older units are relocated to other airports. "This
is a great example of the TSA working with the airport to utilize existing
technology to enhance security."

Federal funds obtained by the region's congressional delegation will pay for
the unit, but the airport is responsible for delivery and installation
costs. Although those costs are not to exceed $15,000, the actual expense
will be closer to $6,000 to $7,000, Centini said.

"This machine is over a million dollars," he said. "There's a lot of
airports looking to get these machines. We're very fortunate to get one."

Passengers also will benefit because the unit will speed up the screening
process. Their bags will be sent by a conveyor system to the room holding
the detection unit. Once inside attendants will manually place the baggage
into the unit. Centini described the system as a "hybrid."

"Harrisburg's overall bag screening in-line system is about $11 million," he
said. "We have a $1 million system."
When construction of the terminal began the airport proceeded as if it was
not going to receive an explosives detection unit, Centini explained. "A
couple months ago they told us it was looking pretty good, 90 percent. We
started building for it and we got it."

Separate from the terminal, but part of the overall airport expansion, the
board agreed to increase the contract for architectural and engineering
services for HNTB Pennsylvania Inc. by $207,739.

The firm overseeing the construction of the aircraft parking apron around
the old and new terminals requires additional time to see the $12.8 million
project through because the contractor shut down the job for the season.
Work is expected to resume on April 1 and take four months to complete.


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