Portland International Airport officials are just weeks away from unveiling the result of a massive terminal renovation.
The Port of Portland said the redesign — still largely hidden behind construction barriers, even though the terminal has remained open for business — will make its debut on Aug. 14.
Travelers and visitors will see a much larger check-in area and more pre-security vendors in a tree-lined “market hall” topped with a massive wooden roof made from Pacific Northwest timber.
Two new security checkpoints, which airport officials promise will offer a “streamlined” experience, will open on the same day. (Airport officials sought more than 2,000 volunteers to test the new check-in and security process early next month, and they quickly got more sign-ups than they could handle.)
And a new connector corridor will allow ticketed passengers access to all four terminal concourses without having to go back through security.
And yes, the airport’s treasured 1980s carpet design will make a highly anticipated return.
The opening will largely resolve some headaches that have plagued flyers during construction, including long walking detours to gates and cramped security checkpoints.
Even after August’s big reveal, though, the $2.15 billion terminal project won’t be quite wrapped up.
North and south ends of the terminal that have remained open during construction will close to complete the renovation. That work — which will introduce more new vendors and areas to wait for arriving passengers — won’t be done until December 2025.
The cost of the project was borne by the airlines that serve the airport.
The first phase of the work was originally set to open to the public in May, but construction was delayed earlier this year after a series of near-miss safety incidents, the result of the terminal continuing to operate while construction was underway.
Several times this year, debris or tools fell into parts of the terminal that weren’t under construction, landing in areas that were not accessible to passengers but were open to non-construction airport employees. In some cases the incidents could have caused serious injuries.
— Elliot Njus edits business and economy news for The Oregonian/OregonLive. He can be reached at [email protected].
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