Airport Construction Update

July 28, 2009

Terminal A Gates Renumbered August 1

We are renumbering all the gates in Terminal A on Saturday, August 1, to provide a consistent numbering system throughout the Airport. Under the new numbering, Gate 1 will be at the far north end of Terminal A (currently Gate A-16).  Gates currently numbered A-1A and A-1B for international flights at the south end of Terminal A will become Gates 15 and 16. The first gate in the new concourse is Gate 17, and Gate 28 will be at the far south end of Terminal B when we open the new terminal next year. 

Although Terminal A airlines generally will continue to operate at their usual gates for the time being, you should be sure to check your boarding pass carefully for your flight’s gate assignment. As we relocate airlines from Terminal C to Terminal A and Terminal B in the coming year, airline gate assignments will change. Flight information also is displayed on screens throughout the terminals, and you can follow the signs to guide you to your departure gate.

New Concourse Gates Now Open

The successful activation of the first six gates of the new concourse on July 15 was a major milestone for the New Airport. We’re now in the sprint to the finish as we focus on completing Terminal B, the roadways, and the new rental car center and parking garage. We’re still on time and on budget for opening the new facilities in June 2010!

San Jose Vice Mayor Judy Chirco welcomed                               Members of the public explored the new

Scott Yamasaki of Southwest Airlines to the                                 concourse at the ribbon cutting.

new SJC concourse on July 14. 

For now, Southwest Airlines is the only carrier using the new concourse until the six additional gates and the new Terminal B are placed in service next June. Southwest passengers will continue to check in and claim their baggage at Terminal A until we shift all their ticketing, security checkpoint screening, and baggage claim operations to Terminal B next June.  During this interim period, we realize it’s a longer walk for passengers from the Terminal A security checkpoint to the Southwest gates in the new concourse.  However, this is a temporary arrangement until we open Terminal B.

We also will have ongoing construction in the new concourse over the coming year as we complete additional concessions, complete office space on the ground floor, and make further modifications to the building and its furnishings. During this time sections of the concourse might be closed off from time to time to allow construction crews to do their work. Illy Coffee, Le Boulanger, and The Brit restaurants are scheduled to open in August.

Terminal A Improvements

Expansion and improvements inside Terminal A also are moving right along.  The Gordon Biersch restaurant and Discover San Jose shop are now open in the new airside “bump out” across from the security checkpoints. Over the coming year more concessions, with strong participation by local businesses, will be opening in both Terminal A and Terminal B Concourse. Peet's Coffee & Tea and Sora’s Restaurant are scheduled to open in the bump out in August.

Burger King, Cinnabon, California Pizza Kitchen, and San Jose Marketplace have already been closed to make room for construction of a new consolidated security checkpoint that will help us move passengers through more quickly and reduce waiting times.

The expanded checkpoint will open with eight lanes in November, and will have the capability for up to 12 lanes in the future as passenger traffic grows. TSA will install new, more efficient equipment that will help speed up the security process.

Progress on “Hands” Public Art Façade

The 1200-foot-long public art façade wrapping the east side of the Airport’s new rental car and public parking garage is making progress, and it’s now scheduled for completion by September.  To watch the artwork installation unveil itself over the next two months, visit our webcam here.

The artwork is integrated into the architecture of the garage to enhance the appearance compared to a standard concrete façade. The image of the hands, based on photos of 54 Santa Clara County residents, is composed by 360,000 plastic disks hand-snapped on to 107 panels of chain-link mesh that are being attached to the garage. The project is a complex collaboration by the Airport, San Jose Public Art Program, artist Christian Moeller, Fentress Architects, and Hensel Phelps Construction Co. 

Upcoming Project Milestones

The major elements in the Airport’s comprehensive modernization program will be completed over the coming year.  By June most of the projects will be open and in service, and the remaining work will consist of cleanup and punch list items until the end of the 2010.  Here’s a summary of what to expect over the next eleven months:

Terminal A:

• New shops and restaurants are coming in August, including Peet's Coffee & Tea and Sora’s Restaurant, and additional concessions will open as the Terminal A facelift progresses over the next eight months.
• The new consolidated and expanded security checkpoint will open in November.
• New passenger boarding bridges are currently being installed.
• Overall improvements to Terminal A, including remodeled restrooms, will be completed in early 2010.

New Concourse:

• Additional new concessions coming in August, including Le Boulanger and The Brit restaurants and Illy Coffee.
• The rest of the new concourse will open in June 2010.

Terminal C:

• Airlines will be relocated to Terminal A, including jetBlue this fall, and United and Continental in December
• Demolition of the Terminal C baggage claim building will occur early in 2010 to make way for the completion of the new loop roadway.
• Temporary baggage claim will open early in 2010 until Terminal B is completed.
• Final demolition of Terminal C will start in summer 2010 and be completed by fall.

Roadways:

• Installation of improved roadway overhead signage and new lighting will begin this fall, with completion planned by summer 2010.
• Removal of the temporary Skyport Connector will take place in spring 2010.
• Completion of new loop roadway is scheduled by summer 2010.
• Reconstruction of the bypass road to Terminal Bwill be done by spring 2010.

Terminal B:

• The new terminal and the rest of the new concourse will opening in June 2010.

Safety Reminder

Heavy construction equipment continues to use Airport roads.  As always, please watch out for other drivers, pedestrians, and construction workers.  Airport parking control and traffic officers are there to help keep traffic flowing safely, so please pay attention to them, too, especially during peak times. And please, pedestrians should not walk through construction zones – follow the designated walkways.

Airport Construction "Hot Line" at (408) 501-0630

For current information about construction impacts to the airport, call (408) 501-0630.  We regularly update the recorded message to help our passengers as we make changes affecting roads, terminals, and parking at SJC.

Construction Schedules Are Subject To Change

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.  We appreciate your patience, and thank you for flying San José while we build The New Airport for you.

Airport Construction Update is produced by the Marketing and Communications Division at Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport. We welcome your comments. If you’re not already on the mailing list for this publication, you can subscribe by going to www.sjc.org.