CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Part of the new lobby at Charlotte Douglas International Airport is finally opening up.
After years of construction and frustration at the airport, this marks the first phase of the $3 billion terminal expansion project
Construction will continue on the east side of the terminal lobby, and renovations of the existing departures/ticketing and arrivals/baggage claim areas will kick off at the end of the month.
"It is still under construction. So while this phase is opening, there are still things that you'll see that aren't quite finished yet," Christine said. "Some of those will be finished by next week. Some of it will actually take us a little bit more time."
Eventually the current five security checkpoints will be consolidated to three larger ones, with one more lane than the airport has today and additional technology to increase capacity.
"It's not just about the number of lanes that we have," Christine said. "It's about the technology that we're using to help compensate while we're under construction."
Charlotte Douglas set to open next phase of Terminal Lobby Expansion
Downstairs, a new area is opening in baggage claim as construction walls go up to begin work on eight new baggage carousels.
The Queen's Courtyard, which will feature the Queen Charlotte statue, will be a space where people can await the arrival of their loved ones, complete with the airport's signature rocking chairs.
Down another level, a new underground tunnel featuring terrazzo flooring artwork will connect the terminal to the rental car space and hourly parking deck.
Travelers said they're excited for what's to come.
"It'll be nice to have this airport flow a little bit easier," Russ Throckmorton said.
The Terminal Lobby Expansion project is projected to cost $608 million with the ultimate goal of allowing more flights in and out of Charlotte. The entire Destination CLT project has plans through 2035.
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