A huge earthworks project has been approved that will pave the way for the construction of a new Concourse A at Nashville International Airport.
The Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority (MNAA) is entering a new phase of expansion with a substantial earthwork project set to begin at Nashville International Airport (BNA). The project will enlarge the paved area (or ‘ramp’) adjacent to the terminal’s north end, adding more space for aircraft manoeuvring and parkin. This is the first step in building a much larger Concourse A.
The Airport Authority’s board of commissioners has awarded a $27m contract to Eutaw Construction for Phase 1 of the Concourse A ramp expansion project. Construction will begin in November to create nearly 30 acres of new space adjacent to Concourse A by spring 2023. Phase 2, which has not yet been awarded, will pave the new space and add aircraft taxi lanes.
“Air traffic at BNA has returned to pre-pandemic levels. With even more growth projected in the years ahead, Nashville needs a bigger airport,” said Doug Kreulen, BNA president and CEO. “A world-class Concourse A is key to our growth strategy, but we need a bigger ramp first.”
Phase 1 of the Concourse A ramp expansion project will bring a 95ft depression up to grade, creating 27 acres of space to extend the existing Concourse A ramp. The resulting surface area will be needed for aircraft manoeuvring once Concourse A is expanded. An estimated 75,000 dump truck loads of fill material will be used to build the new space, 67% of which was harvested from BNA’s on-site stockpiles (including rock excavated from the future International Arrivals Facility site and concrete recycled from the newly reconstructed Runway 2R/20L). The remaining fill material will come from a local quarry.
The project is expected to include nearly $3m in contract awards for minority- and woman-owned business enterprises and will create an estimated 60 jobs. It is part of a second major phase of expansion at the airport. The first slate of projects is under way now and set for completion in 2023. It includes a state-of-the-art International Arrivals Facility and terminal lobby expansion and renovation. Projects already completed under the first phase include a new Concourse D, new ticketing wings and baggage claim space, Terminal Garages 1 and 2, and a new administrative office building.
