VTA Bus Stop Relocation at Terminal C
The VTA bus stop at Terminal C for the Route 10 “Airport Flyer” was relocated this week because of upcoming construction at the north end of the terminal. The new bus stop is curbside next to the new Terminal C security checkpoint.  The bus stop at Terminal A remains the same for now, but we might have to move it as well later this year because of construction.

Pile Driving for New Roadway Bridges
The upgraded airport roadway system will include two new bridges to improve traffic flow at The New Airport. The north bridge will be located between the North Concourse and Terminal A to separate traffic and allow for the new Terminal A bypass that will let drivers go directly to Terminal B in the future and skip the long loop around Terminal A.  The south bridge on Airport Boulevard south of Skyport Drive will separate traffic returning to the terminal area or leaving the airport.

We started driving piles for the new north bridge this week, and this will continue for another three to four weeks.  After the pile driving is completed at this location, we will shift to the site of the south bridge in late February for another month.

Because of the noise made by pile driving, we’re distributing free ear plugs to our passengers and people working in the area who might be affected by it.

Rental Car Garage Construction Underway
Preliminary pile driving for the consolidated rental car garage across from Terminal C will begin in early February.  The initial work to assess pile depths and complete engineering design will take about a week, and then we’re scheduled to restart pile driving in mid-March to put in approximately 2,200 piles for the garage foundation.

This work is expected to run through June.  Most of it will be done during the daytime working hours, but there will be a few short periods where we’ll have to work at night to stay clear of traffic in the roadway.  Fortunately, after we’re done with this phase of work this summer, we don’t expect to have any more major construction noise.

Once the foundation for the seven-deck structure is in place, we will begin erecting the 3400-space rental car and public parking garage that we’re aiming to have in service in 2010.

North End of Terminal C Comes Down in February, New Terminal B to Start
Demolition of the north end of Terminal C will occur in early February to clear the site for the start of construction on the foundation for new Terminal B by April. Structural steel erection for Terminal B is scheduled to begin this fall. 

All the modifications at Terminal C last year made this step possible, including the relocation of aircraft gates, consolidation of security checkpoints, and installation of “shared use” airline ticket counters that give us more flexibility and efficiency to serve our passengers at Terminal C. 

Terminal B will provide the ticketing, security, and baggage claim support for the gates in the new North Concourse, which is on schedule for completion by the end of the year. Once Terminal B is in service in two and a half years, we can tear down the rest of Terminal C by the end of 2010, allowing us to complete the last piece of the new roadway through the terminal area. 

Upgrade of Terminal A Advances
Also in February we will start the expansion of Terminal A on the “air side” of the terminal. This additional space, which will accommodate new concessions and much more comfortable passenger hold rooms, is scheduled to be in service during the first half of 2009.

This March we’ll start work on new ground-level ticketing lobbies that are scheduled to be operational in next January. Once the new lobbies are in service we can start expanding and renovating the security checkpoint that will replace the old ticketing area on the second level.  We’re doubling the capacity of the TSA checkpoints, which will mean better service and shorter waits when we’re done in spring 2009.

The upgrades at Terminal A over the next 18 months will require frequent changes that will affect our passengers.  We recognize that construction at times will create some unavoidable inconvenience for you, but we’re working hard to minimize it as much as we can.

Construction Schedules Are Subject to Change
Because the $1.3 billion project to replace and upgrade the SJC terminal area is complex and moving very fast, our construction schedules are subject to continuing revision.  We will keep updating the public and our customers about the project details as they occur, but please bear with us as we adjust schedules for the project over the next two and a half years.  We appreciate your patience, and we thank you for flying San José while we build The New Airport for you.