Blue curbside expansion cruises along

Steel is flying, concrete is flowing and progress on Tampa International Airport’s innovative express curbside expansion is beginning to take shape nicely.

The blue side curbside project will add eight lanes for passengers without checked luggage, a new vertical circulation building to take people to and from the Main Terminal and a pedestrian walkway. After months of progress, it’s currently on schedule and slated to open to the public in early 2022.

The first phase of structural steel is now in place for the vertical circulation building and the metal roof has been installed. Crews are in the process of fireproofing the structure and, later this month, will begin installing the glass windows that will wrap around the building.

Meanwhile, workers have poured the concrete decks for the elevated pedestrian walkway that will connect the Main Terminal and Long Term Parking Garage. The pedestrian bridge is the first area that will open to the public, and guests will be able to walk from Long Term Parking through the new pedestrian bridge into a new central lobby space in January 2021.

Roadway progress is also going well.

Crews recently shifted traffic to a temporary road to allow work to continue on the curbside entry bridge. Workers are currently installing beams for the elevated roadway as well as hoising the steel for the roof canopy that will cover the road.