With its Phase I general contractor, Hensel Phelps, officially under contract, Denver International Airport has resumed work on its Great Hall Project, which has been stalled since August 2019.
The primary focus of the project is to enhance safety and security by moving the security screening checkpoints up one level to Level 6 and implementing new screening technology that will make the process more efficient. The project will also consolidate airline ticket counters and make other passenger-focused improvements.
“We are pleased to have Hensel Phelps on our team to help us move the project forward in an efficient manner and with a strong emphasis on safety and operations,” said Denver CEO Kim Day. “As construction resumes, we will continue to focus on the passenger experience and provide transparency through public tours and a project dashboard, both of which will be announced in the coming weeks.”
Hensel Phelps is resuming work on Phase I of the project, which will complete the work in the center of the terminal, including: completing demolition in the center of the terminal on Level 6; constructing new airline ticket counters in the center of Level 6; widening the balconies for the future TSA checkpoints on Level 6; adding two new restrooms on both the east and west sides; and upgrades to the existing mechanical, electrical and plumbing infrastructure.
Initially, crews will mainly work overnight, on the delivery of materials and cranes, which may result in minor traffic disruption. For safety reasons, higher construction walls will be erected on the north and south bridges, although they will feature windows so that passengers can see construction progress.
New construction walls will also be installed on the arrival platform for the train to the gates. As demolition activities resume, passengers can expect noise from 7:30am to 3:30pm and 10:00pm to 6:00am daily. Noise levels will be monitored to ensure there are no disruptions to airport operations.
The Hensel Phelps contract is worth US$195m for Phase I of the project. It is estimated that the first phase will be complete by late 2021. The design and scope of additional phases are still being determined and will be announced in summer 2020.
The Great Hall Project is intended to enhance security, improve operational efficiency, and give the terminal an 80 million passenger capacity. The terminal was originally designed to accommodate 50 million passengers – in 2019, Denver served almost 70 million.