PORTLAND, Ore. — The Port of Portland is getting ready to take the wraps off of the new main terminal at the Portland International Airport, with the big debut set for May. Behind a giant white curtain that runs the length of the terminal behind the public-facing check-in counters, large parts of new terminal have already taken shape.
The sweeping mass timber roof is in place overhead, providing a sense of the kind of wide open space visitors can expect to encounter in the new terminal. The elevated mezzanine looking out over the tarmac is already there, and wood framing for future stores and restaurants can be spotted throughout.
But there's still a flurry of construction activity in every corner of the terminal as crews begin to put the finishing touches on the interior. Stairs, seating and carpeting are all still to come, and the array of trees and plants promised in conceptual renderings are set to be delivered in March, according to Brad Harrison, senior manager, construction services.
The new main terminal is the centerpiece of a broader overhaul that the Port of Portland refers to as PDX Next, which got underway in 2019. The overhaul also includes the new Concourse B — an expanded replacement for the former Concourse A at the southern corner of the airport, a new car rental center and a redesigned transit hub.
Most of the other components have already opened; the main terminal is the last piece and is scheduled to open later this year, although construction won't fully wrap up until 2025. The redesigned B concourse also made room for TriMet to rebuild the airport MAX station and add a second track on the approach to airport as part of the Better Red project.
From Phase 1 to Phase 2
The opening of the new terminal in May won't mark the end of the project, Harrison explained — only the end of what the team refers to as "phase 1." The project had to be done in two phases in order to keep the terminal operational for air travelers throughout the whole process.
Phase 1 left the front counters in place from the former terminal, along with the original east and west security checkpoints at either end, with temporary walkways added along the outside of the building to shuttle passengers around the construction zone to reach the B and C concourses.
The full new terminal will ultimately be rectangular, Harrison explained, but the phase 1 portion is more like a T-shape, focusing on the central area behind the current check-in counters and new the security areas behind the existing ones.
In May, check-in and security operations will shift over to the competed phase 1 portion of the new terminal, and then the crews will get to work demolishing the old security checkpoints and filling out the rest of the space, installing the remaining sections of the new roof. The full structure will be complete in 2025.
