Demolition work started last night at 10:30. It's going to be the first of many overnight hours tearing down Terminal-C -- the airport's oldest structure. It's actually not affecting airline passengers, but this very visual work is a major milestone in the airport's ongoing upgrades.
Cranes began tearing down the structural frame of the north end of Terminal-C -- that section was built in the 1970s to accommodate airport growth back then.
For the next month, construction crews will be removing the debris to clear the site to build the new Terminal-B. Of which the first phase should be completed and ready for use by mid-2010.
None of this demolition is affecting passengers, because the north portion of Terminal-C was closed in December, and the ticket counters, gates and security checkpoints were consolidated to the other end.
In addition to the new Terminal-B, the airport's $1.3 billion dollar project also includes upgrades to Terminal-A, more retail and food services inside the terminals, plus improved roadways and a massive new rental car and parking garage with 3,300 spaces.
During the next two-and-a-half years, passengers will continue to use the remaining half of Terminal-C. Then once the new concourse is ready for service in 2010, that remaining portion of Terminal-C will be torn down.
