Pittsburgh International Airport has announced an opening date for its new landside terminal: Nov. 18.
The project has been in the works since the Allegheny County Airport Authority hired CEO Christina Cassotis in 2015, and has been under active construction since October 2021. In her remarks ahead of the ribbon cutting, Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato called the new terminal the region’s front door and a catalyst for both the local economy and community.
“I know there are a lot of Pittsburghers who question why we need a new airport when they still refer to the current one as the new airport,” she said. The current terminal opened in October 1992.
“The reality is that all of us deserve an airport that is designed to meet our needs while also showcasing the very region that creates opportunity for so many people.”
You may have caught a peek at some of the upcoming outdoor areas earlier this year from Yinzer Backstage Pass’s tour amid construction, but here are seven more details about the site that you need to know or might miss as you speed toward your gate:
Actual opening date
Although the ribbon has been cut, it hasn’t hit the ground yet, so to speak. Bob Kerlik, spokesman for the airport, said the new terminal won’t be open to the public until after its second — and final — public trial, which is expected to occur within the coming weeks. It will officially open a few weeks after that. No date is currently set.
Locally sourced materials
Ninety percent of the labor and supplies used in the project were sourced locally, “including the steel beams that support this beautiful terminal,” Innamorato said.
Many speakers — Innamorato included — called attention to the economic benefits the modernization project has brought and will bring to the region. According to a fact sheet provided by the airport, the project has created more than 7,800 jobs. It’s also spurred economic activity in the region to the tune of $2.5 billion — $1 billion of which was spent on local labor.
Baggage claim
One improvement that may go unnoticed by travelers is the new terminal’s baggage claim conveyor belt, which shortens any given piece of luggage’s trip from 8 to 3 miles.
With less mileage to travel, bags will arrive at baggage claim much quicker.
During remarks ahead of the ribbon cutting, U.S. Rep. Summer Lee, D-12, also highlighted practical improvements like these as wins not just for airport patrons, but for worker safety and comfort.
“[Transportation Security Administration] officers will no longer have to spend every day bending and lifting,” Lee said. “Baggage teams won’t be crawling through tight spaces to fix a jam. The new system runs quieter too, protecting hearing through smart engineering. This is what respect for workers looks like in practice.”
Building design
The visual identity of PIT’s new terminal was created by a team of over 100 architects and designers from Gensler + HDR over the project’s lifespan. Gensler Principal Carolyn Sponza said it also employed the help of 14 consultants. The crew also worked in association with luis vidal + architects for the project’s “vision and concept.”
The entire structure is an ode to nature found in Western Pennsylvania. Branching steel beams reach toward the roof like a woodland canopy. The roof itself reflects the region’s rolling hills.
“I moved here seven years ago to work on this project, and I would always say, ‘It doesn’t matter where you’re going in Pittsburgh, it’s uphill in both directions,’” Sponza said. “That’s one of the things that makes a huge impression on people in this region.”
The roof’s rolling effect leaves some portions purposefully misaligned; glass panes in those spots allow natural light to beam down from above. Colby Campbell, an interior designer with Gensler, said the interior-exterior swapping was an unassumingly challenging element of the design.
While the distinct roof is hard to miss, Campbell said the building is full of even more artistic flair.
“There’s actually artwork throughout the building, but something that’s really cool are the little Easter eggs outside of the [steel] columns — there are these little leaves … scattered throughout,” she said.
She also called out the coloring of the ticketing level’s terrazzo floor. Terrazzo is a composite of marble, quartz, glass and the like bound by cement or epoxy. Most of the flooring is white with specks of color from the composite materials. But just before the ticketing booths, the floor turns to a darker gray and curves slightly toward the terminal’s center.
Eventually, the curve sharpens and creates a nearly straight line toward the security checkpoint. The coloring, Campbell said, indicates where patrons need to go without signage.
Families in mind
Visuals aren’t the only thing being enhanced. The new terminal adds a slew of new spaces geared toward families. It boasts nursing stations, diaper changing tables in all restrooms, play areas and sensory rooms.
Speaking ahead of the ribbon-cutting ceremony, U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio, D-17, reflected on times traveling with his four children and called the additions a game changer.
“Traveling with kids is a challenge as anybody knows — any parent knows that,” he said. “They know how stressful the airport can be, and I think these changes are a big deal that will make the experience better for everyone.”
Parking
Opening alongside the new terminal will be additional parking spaces. The new open-air lot has 2,800 spaces, while a new nearby parking structure adds over 3,200 covered spots. These 6,000-some additional spaces join the airport’s existing 15,000, making for a mighty 21,000 parking spots on the 8,800-acre campus.
Once the current terminal closes, the iconic tram will cease operations as well. While some portions of the Extended and Economy Lots will be closed, most current lots will be combined into the “Shuttle Lot,” which will be accessible by eight 35-passenger buses that offer expanded patron and luggage capacity compared to current airport shuttles.
The lots will also be equipped with heated shelters that include digital displays indicating when the next shuttle will arrive and have customer service call buttons.
The price tag
The terminal modernization project’s completion marks it as the first public works project to be completed since the North Shore Connector — the stretch of light-rail track that connects the North Shore and Downtown beneath the Allegheny River — opened in 2012, according to former county Executive Rich Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald was the county executive when the modernization project began.
The project came out to $1.7 billion — about $300 million higher than the estimate officials gave ahead of its 2021 groundbreaking.
Deluzio said that the project earned over $100 million in federal funding and more than $35 million in competitive grants during its lifespan. The funds rolled in by the millions through U.S. Department of Transportation programs and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act allotments.
This article previously did not note that Gensler + HDR worked on the terminal modernization project with luis vidal + architects. It has been updated to include the company. It also previously called TSA the “Traffic Security Administration” instead of “Transportation Authority Administration.” NEXTpittsburgh regrets these errors.
