Happy Birthday to the First Piece of Vertical Steel in the North Concourse!

On a cold January morning, a small crowd gathered at Asheville Regional Airport to watch a major milestone take place on the journey to a new terminal. The group stood in the early morning light in the wide-open space that, just a few months earlier, had been the site of the old north concourse. The orange glow of the rising sun began to peak over the terminal. A lone crane carefully lifted a tall piece of steel into place as the crowd watched in anticipation. While this sight may have been underwhelming to a passerby, everyone watching knew that this was a big step in the new terminal construction project at AVL. The raising of the first piece of vertical steel for the new North Concourse on January 3, 2024, was the beginning of the biggest infrastructure project in the airport’s history that had already been years in the making. 

The first piece of vertical steel is now one year old and the progress that has been made in only one year is amazing! One year ago, we had a flat, dirt-covered patch of ground in the aftermath of the demolition of the old concourse, and now the North Concourse is standing beside the existing terminal and is on track to open this summer. How did we go from nothing to an almost-completed large, modern concourse? Let’s look at some of the North Concourse construction milestones from the past year!

•    January 2024: The first piece of vertical steel was raised on January 3. 140 additional pieces of steel were set in January alone! Meanwhile, demolition of the two-story structure that included the north ticket lobby, airline offices and airport administration began. 

•    February 2024: Steel work continued, including the horizontal steelwork for the decking. 

•    March-June 2024: The steel frame installation and concrete decking for the new North Concourse was completed! Work began on the new north ticket lobby and temporary checkpoint. 

•    July 2024: On July 1, a traditional topping out ceremony was held as the last piece of structural steel for the new north ticket lobby and temporary checkpoint was erected. This moment marked the completion of the framework for the entire north concourse. AVL team members and others involved in the project had the opportunity to sign the beam before it was raised. 

•    August 2024: Framing for the large glass windows began. Work continued on the plumbing, mechanical and electrical work as well as the stairwell installations. 

•    September- October 2024: Glass installation and rough-in work (initial installation of wiring, plumbing, duct work, etc.) continued in preparation for the temporary dry-in (weatherizing and protecting the interior from the elements) set for November. 

•    November-December 2024: Framing, insulation, and rough-in work continued.  The team also started the drywall installation, progressed the baggage handling system, and set the mechanical and electrical equipment in place.
 

When the lone piece of vertical steel was set last January, the opening of the new North Concourse still seemed a long way off. But thanks to the hard work of all of the teams involved in the project, the opening of the concourse is now only months away! This goes to show that even the smallest milestone is an important step on the path to a brand-new terminal! Join us this year as we continue to move AVL Forward and celebrate all of the milestones along the way!