en.Wedoany.com Reported - The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors in California, USA, has approved an additional $415 million investment for the Sacramento International Airport (SMF) to advance the $1.3 billion SMForward modernization and expansion project.

The core of this phase of expansion is the addition of six new gates in Terminal B, bringing the total to 25, along with a comprehensive upgrade of the baggage handling systems in both Terminal A and Terminal B. Additional baggage carousels may also be added to Terminal B to accommodate the continuously growing passenger traffic.

The overall SMForward project is ambitiously planned to comprehensively enhance airport capacity and the passenger experience. In addition to the terminal expansion, it includes several supporting projects that have already commenced or are about to begin: a $140 million pedestrian walkway, which broke ground in August 2024, designed to efficiently connect the terminal with the gates; a new parking garage with 5,500 spaces, which began construction in October 2024 and is expected to be completed in the fall of 2026; and a consolidated rental car facility scheduled to open to the public by the end of 2027. Furthermore, the landside transportation hub will be redesigned to alleviate congestion. The entire construction period is expected to create approximately 1,000 construction jobs.

In terms of financing, the new pedestrian walkway project utilized an innovative Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) delivery method and was constructed by Balfour Beatty. Project funding is diversified, including a $33 million grant from the U.S. federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, a loan under the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA), and airport revenue bonds, with no local tax dollars used.

Sacramento International Airport is managed by the Sacramento County Department of Airports. Currently, 12 airlines operate there, offering 155 flights to 36 destinations and contributing over $4 billion annually to the local economy. This large-scale expansion will better enable it to fulfill its role as a vital transportation hub for Northern California.

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