North Austin News

Over the past year, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) has been undergoing significant construction as part of the Journey With AUS airport expansion program. A notable project within this initiative is the West Gate Expansion, which aims to add 84,500 square feet and new amenities to the Barbara Jordan Terminal.

Matt McCoy, Airport Expansion and Development (AEDP) Construction Manager, and Robert Mercado, AUS Program Manager, provided insights into the project. Matt's career in aviation began in 2002 and includes work on terminal projects across various cities such as Augusta, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Orlando, Charleston, and New Orleans. "It's been an exciting ride," he shared. "Everyone is different. It's neat working with architects and contractors to bring the concept that’s on paper to life."

Robert graduated from the University of Texas School of Architecture in 1983 and has managed large public-serving projects for over three decades. His journey at AUS began 13 years ago. “This is what I love to do,” says Robert. “I love the aviation industry.”

The West Gate Expansion is designed as an enabling project for further developments under the Journey With AUS program. "Enabling means that it's a project that has to be done so you can do something else," Robert explains.

A key feature of this expansion is Concourse B—a new 20-gate midfield concourse connected to the existing Barbara Jordan Terminal via tunnel—which necessitates removing three gates. The West Gate Expansion will offset this by adding three new gates along with additional space for amenities across three levels of the terminal.

Projects at AUS start their lifecycle in an "envision" planning phase aligned with the Airport Master Plan. The procurement phase follows where a design firm and a Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) are selected to manage construction. This process ensures coordination between design and construction teams early on.

For major construction like West Gate, maintaining operational functionality during development poses challenges. Adjustments such as clearing footprints for safety envelopes and constructing temporary passenger boarding bridges are required.

Coordination with various departments at AUS is crucial for successful execution. According to Matt, “I think the quicker answer would be who don't we work with!” Departments ranging from Airside Operations to Security and even external entities like airlines and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are involved.

Construction activities often take place around passengers; however, much of West Gate’s work can proceed during daytime due to its location on the far west end of AUS.

Several milestones have already been achieved in this project including constructing stinger gates—temporary air-conditioned walkways—and erecting the first steel beam in July 2024.

Project timelines involve detailed processes including design phases that typically last at least a year involving extensive engagement with various stakeholders at AUS. Factors such as weather conditions or supply delivery times can impact these timelines significantly.

Despite challenges like longer delivery times for electrical equipment or coordinating trench drain extensions near aircraft taxiing areas, seasoned staff like Robert and Matt remain committed to delivering a lasting product.

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