State breaks ground on Mauka Concourse at airport

The state Department of Transportation broke ground Wednesday on a $220 million, two-level Mauka Concourse at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport to begin the next phase of Hawaii’s airport modernization plan.

The 260,000-square-foot concourse, which will deliver additional gate capacity capable of handling larger aircraft, will be on the Ewa side of the airport and connect with Terminal 1 (the current Interisland Terminal). The facility will accommodate 11 narrow-body aircraft or six wide-body aircraft. The second-level departure area will include a new air-conditioned Transportation Security Administration checkpoint with six lanes to screen passengers faster and reduce the amount of time spent in security lines.

The concourse also will feature passenger holding rooms and boarding areas, restrooms, information kiosks and agricultural screening to allow for domestic departures. A new Ramp Control Office will be constructed, with gate management, flight management and fire alarm systems that tie back to the existing State Ramp Control Office.

“I’m thrilled to get underway with construction of a new concourse at the state’s busiest airport,” Gov. David Ige said. “In 2-1/2 years, we will deliver a beautiful new facility to the residents of our state and the visitors who come to Hawaii from around the world.”

The Mauka Concourse construction is expected to be completed by the end of 2020.

To make room for the new concourse, the existing Commuter Terminal building and annex, including the ground level parking lot B and terminal roadways, will be torn down. Public parking will be discontinued in parking lot B on Friday. Two days ago, Mokulele Airlines moved to Terminal 3 on the Diamond Head side of the airport with its entrance on Aolele Street between the Delta Cargo and United Cargo facilities.

The state DOT will continue its public-private partnership with airport concessionaires to add retail and restaurant concessions in the new concourse.

Construction is underway on airfield and utility infrastructure work that is necessary to allow wide-body aircraft access to the new gates. Airfield work includes adding wider taxi lanes, new aircraft parking aprons, modifications to the existing hydrant fueling system, new passenger loading bridges and a jet blast fence to shield pedestrians and vehicles on the adjacent surface streets. Ramp-level areas also will include spaces available for future tenant offices, ground vehicle access, baggage handling, storage, and common areas for waste recycling.

Other aspects of the project include the construction of a pre-arranged ground transportation area to accommodate passenger transportation needs. Among the improvements are the restriping of the parking stalls, construction of sidewalks and covered waiting areas and restroom facilities.

The state DOT also is implementing a new numbering system for all gates, baggage claims and signs at the Honolulu airport to accommodate the future gate expansion at the mauka and Diamond Head concourses, and to provide more efficient signs to direct people through the airport property.