Reagan National
Credit : Bong Lee
BY ROB YINGLING
One year ago , officials cut a ribbon to celebrate Reagan National Airport ’ s ( DCA ) latest round of major improvements that transformed the passenger experience . While the advancements were innovative , it was not the first time thinking outside the box was needed to accommodate the changing needs of an airport constrained by a river on one side and city streetscapes on the other .
The Authority ’ s first mission , after forming in 1987 , was to engineer a solution to transform congested roadways , parking lots and older terminals at DCA into a higher functioning space within the airport ’ s limited footprint . It met that challenge head-on within ten years with the opening of Terminal B / C , a 1 million-square-foot facility , where airport customers and visitors enjoyed National Hall , a shopping mall experience pre-security with separate entrances to gate areas divided into piers that now form the B , C and D-Gates . Each side of the checkpoints offered a mix of restaurants and grab-and-go food options .
The events of 2001 and beyond changed that dynamic . Trips through security checkpoints became restricted to passengers only . Wait times increased . As a result , the experience gap between pre-security and post-security widened . Post-security shopping and dining locations gained an advantage being close to the gates . A liquid ban at the security checkpoint that began in 2006 made it even less appealing to buy a grab-and-go drink before clearing the checkpoint . Airlines merged and grew their DCA customer base , but checkpoints reached their growth limit in spaces constructed before 9 / 11 . Something had to give .
The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority and its DCA partners hatched a new plan in 2015 , dubbing it Project Journey . New security checkpoints would be constructed above a roadway in a narrow gap between the 1997 terminal and an elevated Metrorail station , while a new 14-gate concourse , now called the E-Gates , with plenty of space for new concessions and amenities would extend north of the existing terminal .
Construction trailers and equipment began arriving in 2017 . After numerous planning meetings , a carefully orchestrated ballet of detours and lane closures began . Much of the early work to drill piles for the new checkpoint buildings took place overnight , with crews retreating during the day .
“ There was never a day when we didn ’ t come across a new technical or logistical challenge ,” said Priyam Shah , a construction manager for the Airports Authority . “ Building these facilities between upper and lower-level roadways , and then merging this new facility into a heavily used terminal , was not a simple task . Many experienced construction professionals on this project told me that this is the most challenging project of their entire career .”
Airport management kept a close eye on construction plans to make sure passengers could continue to move smoothly around the work zone . Those efforts paid dividends .
“ Thanks to effective planning , cross-functional collaboration and continuous communication with customers , construction impacts were minimized ,” said Paul Malandrino , vice president and airport manager for Reagan National . “ These efforts helped us keep a high level of customer service . An airport survey found that 88 percent of passengers reported little or no impact from construction on their airport experience .”
The 2020 pandemic dramatically slowed passenger activity at the height of Project Journey construction . Crews kept going though . They adopted new safety protocols and accelerated work in areas where travel activity slowed .
FLYWASHINGTON . COM 14 AUTUMN 2022