en.Wedoany.com Reported - Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) is advancing its approximately $4 billion "Destination CLT" plan, with the fourth runway project expected to be completed in 2027. The 10,000-foot-long, 150-foot-wide runway is currently about 45% complete. Jack Christine, the airport's chief infrastructure and development officer, stated that the project is on schedule and under budget, with a target operational date of September 2027.
The expansion plan aims to accommodate sustained passenger growth. Passenger traffic rose from 28 million in 2005 to 50.1 million in 2019, reaching a record 58.8 million in 2024, making it the seventh busiest airport in North America and the 35th globally. Given that its aircraft movements rank seventh worldwide, the construction of the fourth runway, along with a full-length parallel taxiway, associated entry and exit taxiway systems, and two end-around taxiways (EATs), has become critical. These facilities allow aircraft to bypass active runway ends without directly crossing them.
The airport's upgrades and expansion extend beyond capacity enhancement. The Aviation and Innovation Research Institute at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNC Charlotte) is collaborating with the airport on instrumentation and digital twin projects, planning to embed sensors within the new runway. Nick Loder, Vice President of Aviation at RS&H, the runway's engineer of record, stated that this will become a living laboratory for academia to test new construction methods.
The $604 million terminal hall expansion, which opened last fall, is one of the largest milestones in the "Destination CLT" plan. The expansion combines 175,000 square feet of new facilities with 191,000 square feet of renovated space, consolidating five existing security checkpoints into three larger, more efficient stations. It also adds elevated and underground pedestrian walkways connecting the terminal to parking garages, as well as a new central energy plant. The design emphasizes a sense of place, featuring rocking chairs, plaid patterns, a blue-tone wayfinding system, and a "dive and roll" theme. Ben Goebel, Charlotte office director of lead designer Gresham Smith, noted that each security checkpoint includes aerodynamic components paying homage to racing research and development.
A significant piece of the expansion is the 15-foot-tall bronze statue of Queen Charlotte. The statue was relocated due to road expansion needs, lifted approximately 75 feet through a 24-foot-diameter skylight and placed on a pedestal in the hall. Chad Allen, Director of Operations at Holder Construction, recalled the statue spinning in the air during the hoisting process, describing the operation as very tense. Holder, Edison Foard, and R.J. Leeper, serving as at-risk construction managers, completed the finishing work this month.
The main construction component of the expansion is a 146,000-square-foot steel truss glass canopy spanning a 155-foot-wide interchange road and terminal curbside. The canopy is supported by 16 columns standing 65 feet tall, with each truss section approximately 12 feet high and weighing about 45 kips. Construction crews had 4 to 7 hours each night for erection work, scheduled around flight timetables.
The fourth parallel runway project is divided into multiple packages, handled by four engineers of record: RS&H for the runway, AECOM for the south end-around taxiway (SEAT), Kimley-Horn for the north end-around taxiway (NEAT), and STV for relocating West Boulevard out of the SEAT area. Robert McAndrews, Project Manager at HNTB, stated that using Autodesk Construction Cloud enabled real-time coordination among all design teams. E.S. Wagner and Hi-Way Paving are constructing the NEAT, while Ames Construction is building the SEAT. The SEAT is currently nearly half complete, including a 50-foot-high, nearly half-mile-long soil nail wall and a 12-foot by 16-foot concrete box culvert drainage structure.
The airport and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNCC) announced a $6.5 million fourth parallel runway instrumentation and digital twin technology project in April. The project will embed pavement sensors within the runway to provide real-time data on pavement performance and maintenance needs. Tara Cavalline, Professor of Civil Engineering Technology and Management at the University of Carolina at Charlotte, stated that approximately 2,000 sensors will be embedded at various depths and on the surface, along with cameras and weather stations, aiming to provide test data for airport pavement design nationwide.
The airport is currently planning its next major capital project, including expansions of Concourses B and C, each estimated at approximately $463 million, adding up to 22 new gates in total. Prior to that, the airport will begin bidding on a two-phase south apron expansion project valued at an estimated $405 million.
Dale Stubbs, Project Director at RS&H, stated that considering all bid packages, it is a game of earthwork relocation, with each project prioritized based on float time and earth stockpile capacity.
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