Terminal A Summer Roadway Work to Finish Ahead of Schedule
The summer road project at Terminal A is well ahead of schedule and should be wrapped up by mid-September instead of early October as we originally had expected. By Friday this week, just in time for the Labor Day holiday, the lanes in front of the terminal will be open to traffic, though we still have to finish some work in the median that may affect lanes as you leave Terminal A.

As a result of outstanding coordination among the airport, our airlines, and construction partners who worked around the clock for the past three months, we’ve been able to get the job done with minimal disruption to our passengers during the busy summer travel season. Congratulations to all for helping us get through a very challenging period of construction crews.

Temporary 20-Minute Grace Period in the Garage Ends Friday
With the Terminal A Departures and Arrivals curbs back to normal, there’s no longer the need for the temporary drop-off space inside the Terminal A Garage. As of Friday morning, August 29, the regular parking rates will be back in effect for the garage – $1 for every 20 minutes.

Good Advice for Labor Day Holiday -- Get to the Airport Early
The last holiday of the summer is already here, and our advice to travelers continues to be: get to the terminals at least 90 minutes before your flight, and allow yourself extra time to deal with any unexpected traffic snags, changes in parking, or long security lines.

For the early morning peak times at Terminal C, give yourself even more time. The busiest time at Terminal C is between 6:00 and 8:00 a.m. when the first wave of morning flights pushes out, and waiting times at security lines are at their longest. Most airlines require passengers to check in at the ticket counter at least 45 minutes before scheduled departures, and they usually stop boarding passengers at boarding gates at least 15 minutes before departure – so make sure you’re at your gate about 30 minutes ahead of time. Terminal C airlines include: Alaska/Horizon, Continental, Delta, Frontier, jetBlue, Northwest, United, and US Airways.

And, some good news, there won’t be any construction work on the New Airport that will affect the public over the holiday weekend.

Steel to Start Going up for Terminal A Upgrade, New Terminal B
The erection of the steel framework for the expansion of the Terminal A concourse and waiting lounge area (which we refer to as the “airside bump-out”) is scheduled to start Tuesday, September 2. We expect this should take about four weeks to complete, and most of the work will be done at night, after 10:00 p.m., to minimize inconvenience for customers and airline operations.

Although the airport improvement project is not adding any new aircraft gates at Terminal A, we are adding about 50,000 square feet of space in the terminal to provide more room for ticketing, security, waiting areas, and restaurants and shops, and baggage handling. This expansion will allow us both to improve efficiency for our carriers and to enhance convenience and comfort for passengers as Terminal A upgrades are placed in service in stages during 2009.

Steel for Terminal B also will start going up in September 8, and will take about four months. The framework for the new building will wrap around the south end of the North Concourse, which will be integrated with the new terminal.

Temporary Bypass to Terminal C Will Be Removed Next Month
Although the temporary bypass detour to Terminal C has been popular with drivers this summer while we’ve been rebuilding the road in front of Terminal A, we’ll have to close it in September so that we can continue with the rest of our construction on the roads and the new garage.

The good news is that when the Airport roadwork is completed in late 2010, we’ll have a new, permanent bypass road that will let you go directly to the new Terminal B. Until then, unfortunately, drivers will have to make the loop around the Terminal A garage to get to Terminal C.

New Bridge to Open for Traffic in Late September
The northern overcrossing between Terminal A and Terminal C, which goes over the Terminal B bypass now under construction, is just about done and ready for traffic. When we open the new bridge in late September, it will change traffic patterns for drivers leaving the Terminal A garage and the rental car center. We’ll post more details as we get closer to the opening of the new structure. The nine-month construction of the bridge started with pile driving in January this year.

Construction Photos
Construction photos of the work at the New Airport can be found in the Construction Update section at SJC Construction Photos. We’re making good progress on the major elements of the Terminal Area Improvement Program, and we continue to stay on track to finish on schedule and on budget in 2010.

Airport Construction "Hot Line" at (408) 501-0630
For current information about construction impacts to the airport, call (408) 501-0630. We’ll update the recorded message to help our passengers as we make changes affecting roads, terminals, and parking at SJC over the next two years.

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