There was a sneak peek of the new Pittsburgh International Airport Terminal Thursday.
The new terminal is currently around 80 percent completed and is expected to open in the early fall.
Paul Hoback, Executive Vice President of the Pittsburgh International Airport, says the design of the new airport terminal building is inspired by three important elements that define Pittsburgh.
“It’s nature, technology . . . and unity,” said Hoback. “Lots of natural light, lots of glass in this building. You can see the rolling hills of the Western Pennsylvania region identified in the ceiling design, in the roof design.”
A 40-foot bridge and tunnel will connect the airside terminal to the landside terminal. It’s is designed to look like the Fort Pitt Tunnel.
He says the new facility is built with the use of American steel.
“All of this steel (here) was made in America and then brought here locally to Ambridge and fabricated out of the same buildings that fabricated steel for the Chrysler Building, the Empire State Building.”
90 percent of the site workers are people from the Pittsburgh region.
The new baggage system will also be more efficient with high technology motors. Robots will handle bags that prompt a security alert, reducing the need to have TSA agents walk the bag from one area to another.
The new terminal will be smaller than the one that opened in 1992 and is currently used.
The current airport was building with U.S. Air in mind but after the company abandoned Allegheny County, much of the airport became extra space.
The new Terminal will also eliminate the need for the tram that connects the landside terminal to the airside terminal.