Massport Announces Communication Campaign as Series of Construction Projects Begin at Logan

The Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) on July 31, announced a communication plan to inform passengers, employees and tenants about an upcoming series of construction projects at Boston Logan International Airport. The projects will have major impacts to the traveling public, including roadway detours starting this fall, and will all be completed within the next five years.

The authority is preparing New England’s gateway airport for a growing number of passengers driven by the robust economy and industry trends. Massport is branding this campaign “Logan Forward,” complete with a new website and a text alert program coming later this fall to keep the public informed as we make important investments to improve the customer experience at Logan. In addition, Massport is training airport staff, and will use radio, print and digital advertising to get the word out to our passengers. There will also be signage throughout the airport terminals and along the roadways. Logan served 40.9 million passengers in 2018, and has nearly 20,000 full and part-time employees.

“‘Logan Forward’ is our commitment to improve the passenger experience and we pledge to keep the public informed every step of the way throughout the construction process so they can appropriately plan ahead,” said incoming Massport CEO Lisa Wieland. “This will be a long process and communication with our passengers will be key.”

Massport is undergoing a nearly $2 billion capital plan to improve the efficiency and customer experience throughout Logan Airport. It involves several major projects over the next 5 years, including:

• Terminal B to C roadway improvements;
• A new Terminal B-C post-security connection;
• New gates and a 2,000-space parking garage at Terminal E;
• Increased sustainability efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions;
• Better access to and more high occupancy vehicle (HOV) transportation options.

A new website www.LoganForward.com has been set up to provide more information about each of these projects, as well as construction timelines and updates. A new text alert program is also in the works and will be available later this fall. Passengers, employees and tenants will be able to get up-to-date messages about road detours and traffic impacts.

“Logan Forward” also includes a robust Ground Transportation plan aimed at reducing the airport’s environmental footprint by strategically providing more options for passengers to use HOV, like Logan Express (LEX). LEX is the seventh largest transit system in Massachusetts with Back Bay and four suburban locations in Braintree, Framingham, Woburn, and Peabody.

Within the next 5 years, a new LEX service will be available at North Station and another suburban location; more parking spaces will be available in Braintree and Framingham; and more buses will service Framingham. A new centralized TNC, or App Ride, pickup/dropoff area inside Logan’s Central Garage is also under construction to give passengers a better experience and an option for discounted shared rides. The goal is to eliminate about 1.5 million empty, or “deadheading,” TNC vehicles and double LEX ridership from 2 million to 4 million. This will reduce congestion and air emissions at Logan and will benefit our neighboring communities.  

Construction on a few of these projects has already begun and so far there has only been a handful of minor interruptions. Starting this fall, and throughout the next 5 years, there will be major impacts.

Some of the improvements are needed to support the current passenger load and construction for the Terminal B to C roadway improvement project has already begun. The project will replace the aging roadway infrastructure between the two terminals and significantly reduce traffic congestion, especially during peak hours of operation. Separate roads for both terminals will ease traffic flow and increase curb space at Terminal C. As part of the Ground Transportation strategy, we are also adding new roads to and from the Central Garage to separate App Ride vehicles from other traffic.

“We have a responsibility to build a modern, world-class facility because it is what our airline partners want and passengers expect,” said Aviation Director Ed Freni. “We’re using this as an opportunity to prepare the entire airport for the future and it is critical that we keep the traveling public, airlines and tenants informed every step of the way. Not only are our terminal facilities old and need an upgrade, but we are improving the roadway system, reducing congestion and air emissions at the airport and our neighboring communities, and building more sustainable features at our terminals.”

Built in 1967, Terminal C is Logan’s busiest terminal, home to JetBlue Airways and served over 12 million passengers in 2018. Construction for the Terminal C Optimization and the Terminal B-C Connector projects will begin next spring. The combined projects will consolidate the security checkpoints, renovate the public spaces, and expand the food and retail concessions and passenger amenities. A new concourse connecting Terminals B and C post-security will also be completed in 2021.

The Terminal E Modernization project will add nearly 400,000 square feet of space with 7 new gates, 3 of which were approved in 1995 but never constructed, to the international terminal. These new gates will be able to serve larger and more energy-efficient aircraft commonly used for international flights. The project will include new TSA security checkpoints, an expanded ticketing hall, renovations to the existing building, new high-capacity baggage carousels, and improvements to the Customs and Border Protection area to be completed by 2023. Terminal E was built in 1974 and currently serves 5 million passengers annually who fly to 56 nonstop international destinations.