And the best news: They’re ahead of schedule.

“When passenger traffic slowed down, we really took it as an opportunity to ramp up our construction and speed up progress wherever we could,” said Vice President of Facilities Jeff Siddle. “We’re very hopeful to deliver some of our largest projects months ahead of schedule and, as a result, significantly reduce passenger impacts now that air travel is picking up again.

Here’s a quick look at the status of some of TPA’s biggest Phase 2 projects:

• OFFICE BUILDING: TPA’s nine-story SkyCenter One office building, developed by VanTrust, is now complete and the first tenants have already moved in.

This unique building with world-class amenities is the only office building with a direct connection to the Main Terminal via the SkyConnect system. Several floors are currently available for lease.

• EXPRESS CURBSIDES: The Blue express curbside project, which will add eight new curbside lanes for passengers without checked luggage, is currently about two months ahead of schedule. The Airport team is currently in the final stages of getting the roadway bridge complete and is expected to be done by early September.

The exterior of the vertical circulation building, which will transport passengers between the express curbs and the Main Terminal, is complete with the roof, windows and doors all installed. Crews will work on interior finishes until the building is ready to open later this year.

• CENTRAL UTILITY PLANT: Construction on TPA’s new state-of-the-art utility plant is moving fast, and crews are beginning the process of testing and commissioning all the new systems. Commissioning will run through the summer, and the Airport will swap over to the new utility plant in the fall.
• ROADWAY EXPANSION: TPA’s roadway expansion is about three months ahead of schedule. The project widens the Airport’s main entrance and exit road, the George J. Bean Parkway, and adds new and more consistent roadway signage throughout the campus. The project will allow the airport to handle greater passenger numbers, prolonging the life of the Main Terminal.

Overall, TPA’s construction projects benefited from a reduction in passengers due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and were able to speed up work, minimizing passenger impacts.

Phase 2 ultimately helps allow the Airport to accommodate up to 34 million passengers.

The walkway lays the groundwork for an office building set to open in 2021 that will be the first in the region connected to the Airport by a train.

For the past several months, TPA construction workers have been assembling the steel structure on the ground, preparing to lift it up in three sections. The middle section was the first to go up, and all three sections are expected to be in place by the end of November.

The work means there will be some overnight road closures around the Rental Car Center, including the night of Nov. 20, as workers install the second span directly over the Airport Service Road.

Additional roadways closures and detours are possible in the future as construction progresses on the bridge. TPA asks all guests, especially those returning or renting a vehicle, to be mindful of construction during this period and be prepared for possible detours.

The walkway connects the 35-acre SkyCenter development, including a new office building and hotel, to the Airport’s Main Terminal. It is part of the Airport's Master Plan expansion, which will ultimately allow the Airport to serve 34 million annual passengers.