Nashville International Airport Development thread

[Sean blackdog]

We are continuing weekday blasts as part of our New Horizon expansion project for roadway improvements and the extension of Concourse D. The Tennessee Department of Transportation (myTDOT) is conducting simultaneous blasting operations to improve access to BNA. Check out the designated blasting zones on our map. Thank you for your patience.
 

The next phase of blasting at BNA for Terminal Roadway Improvements begins tomorrow (May 9) at 1 p.m. 

What you need to know:
*Blasting operations will commence in the yellow highlighted zone designated in the graphic, starting at 1:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, and last roughly five minutes. 
* This will temporarily impact traffic flow along Terminal Drive. 
* Our Department of Public Safety officers will stop traffic at designated locations along Terminal Drive during the blasting operation to ensure public safety.

 

[andywildman]

On 5/3/2024 at 3:15 PM, Bos2Nash said:

but but but, these oversized roads lead to massive economic development. Don't you guys know anything?!

I don't know how else to explain this but this post feels like "opposite day Argo"

[markhollin]

Officials at Nashville International Airport are starting a deep-dive into two finalist locations for a second terminal.

The scrutiny of the two options will, by year's end, result in the board of the Metro Nashville Airport Authority deeming one to be the preferred spot for a multibillion-dollar building that would accommodate the airport's forecasted growth starting in the mid-2030s. The board also intends to name a back-up option.

The two finalists (as seen on the map below) are Site 3 and Site 4.

Site 3 encompasses the existing terminal as well as multiple enormous surface parking lots. Some infrastructure is present, but other items such as a new water treatment plant would be needed, Kreulen said.

Site 4 is to the south of the existing terminal. It includes 88 acres leased to the National Guard through 2045. Kreulen and airport consultants believe terminal construction could be phased so that work could begin if the Guard is still using that part of the property. The Guard "would like to move to Smyrna long-term, and they are in the process of planning that move," Kreulen told a board committee in April.

More at NBJ here:

https://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2024/05/08/bna-airport-terminal-second-site-construction.html

[MLBrumby]

I wonder why Area 1 was ruled out. Looks like that would be able to handle future growth and better access to I-40 than Area 4. Plus it has a lot of undeveloped adjacent land. 

[Bos2Nash]

Sites 4 and 6 would make the most sense to me. Specifically Site 6 because of its adjacency to Briley Parkway. Site 4 does make sense too due to its adjacency to Murfreesboro Pike and the plans for BRT connection and possible APM at the airport.

I think if they were to build on Site 3, they are just ASKING for additional traffic problems. No matter how much transit there is going to and from a terminal, if we are talking about 30 million passengers going in and out of that single site it is going to be chaos!

[volsfanwill]

Minor question. But why is the plan to rebuild A with a turn in it like C, instead of extending B to mirror C, and also rebuilding A to mirror or be even larger than D? 

Bad photoshop example below. It would be a lot more visually appealing from the air! 

[bnacincy]

Site 4 I think is the best option-you could have directional signs at the Briley Parkway exits on both I-40 and I-24 to exit there for terminal 2 instead of everyone getting off the current airport exit which is bad enough I hear. Then  they could get on Murfreesboro Rd to get there.

Site 3 would absolutely be a traffic nightmare. So if site 4 is chosen, then site 1 is probably where they would relocate the Air Guard and general aviation.

[donNdonelson2]

53 minutes ago, bnacincy said:

Site 3 would absolutely be a traffic nightmare. So if site 4 is chosen, then site 1 is probably where they would relocate the Air Guard and general aviation.

The Guard indicated they plan to move to the Smyrna airport. 

[Bos2Nash]

16 hours ago, volsfanwill said:

Minor question. But why is the plan to rebuild A with a turn in it like C, instead of extending B to mirror C, and also rebuilding A to mirror or be even larger than D? 

Bad photoshop example below. It would be a lot more visually appealing from the air! 

Not too shabby on the quick photoshop lol

If I had to take a guess this approach would be limited specifically by Terminal Drive with its direct access to I-40. We can see in the snip below the fill project occurring to allow the Terminal A expansion. Being hemmed in by the interstate access would make expanding B too tight for aircraft to then maneuver around to A.

Also out here is what appears to the water treatment (?). This would also need to be relocated (and presumably a TON of underground piping) to allow for a second satellite concourse to be built.

Personally, I like the second Terminal idea. I would think one terminal could be for domestic or short international (think Caribbean/Central America/Canada) and the second terminal could be true international terminal that could service large aircraft. Obviously we need the runway expansion to go hand-in-hand with that idea, but it would be cool to one day see A380s land at BNA (if they are still flying when this happens haha)

[Chato_reyes]

Another garage seems like a boondoggle considering the express lot is still closed. They have the capacity and choose not to use it. Same with economy C only being 3/4 available. Best of both worlds would be to build a garage on that land like the BWI daily garage which has 4 stops at elevator banks which are 100% covered.

[Sean blackdog]

Yesterday evening. 
Continue working on new steel beams, Concourse D for Southwest Airlines. 

[Sean blackdog]

Yesterday afternoon. 
 

The Metro Nashville Airport Authority board gave the go-ahead to prioritize this 309-acre site after an airline consultant dubbed the other finalist option "fatally flawed." The airport will ferry close to 24 million passengers this fiscal year, a number that airport officials expect to hit 30 million when the expansion of the current terminal opens in 2028. Officials forecast that the annual passenger flow will be 35 million by 2034, when the second terminal could open.

Doug Kreulen, CEO of the Metro Nashville Airport Authority, discusses the preferred site for a second terminal at Nashville International Airport in a board meeting on May 15.

[Sean blackdog]

Update for Passengers. 
 

April 2024. 
2,033,005 passengers. 
 

[markhollin]

To clarify, the prioritized site for the 2nd terminal will be Site 4 (notated as T II for Terminal 2 in the diagram below). It is 309 acres, 88 of which is currently leased to the Air National Guard. 

"We're really comfortable with Site 4,"    onsultant Steve Martin of the Paslay Group said.  "It can be delivered in the timeframe needed and it can be expanded … that is the key thing."

Initially, the new terminal would hold roughly 20 gates, and it would be located in the lower-right portion of the green area in the image below. Expansion beyond that would occur in phases, moving in a counterclockwise direction around the site.

By comparison, the other finalist site (Site 3, hugging I-40) could only fit 16 gates maximum, "and that is stretching it, trust me," said Martin. 

Just because consultants believe for now that Site 4 has no "fatal flaws," it's far from being free of challenges.

One of them is the fact that the Federal Aviation Administration has funding to build a new air traffic control tower, replacing the current 30-year-old tower. Construction hasn't started yet, but the spot the FAA has earmarked for the new tower is within the part of Site 4 where the terminal would be built — which would complicate designs and access, Metro Nashville Airport Authority CEO Doug Kreulen said.

Discussions with the FAA will intensify now that Nashville airport officials are digging deeper into planning for the new terminal. Kreulen said there are a number of other spots where the FAA could locate the new tower.

Currently, the National Guard leases 30% of Site 4 from the airport authority, through 2045. Construction of the terminal would work its way around Site 4 to eventually reach the National Guard location when its lease ends, Kreulen said. (The Guard has long eyed a move to Smyrna).

Also leasing space on Site 4 are some rental car companies as well as a number of private aviation companies. There's ample room on airport grounds to relocate all of them, Martin said, though the airport will need a detailed plan for those moves and likely will need to buy-out those tenants from their current leases. Those alternative sites also will need several studies done and extensive land-work to make them level.

"At almost every major airport, this is a common scenario to move aviation users around," Martin said. "It's usually worked out on a pretty straightforward business basis with those guys."

Currently, a runway separates the existing terminal with Site 4. In all likelihood, the runway would be closed and decommissioned to more easily link the two terminals, Kreulen said.

Pending further evaluation, the board could adopt an initial terminal financing plan and construction schedule by year's end. The airport authority, which does not receive funding from Metro, would issue bonds to finance the terminal construction — backed by its revenue from fees pair by airlines ands rental car users, as well as on-site parking income and concessions.

 More at NBJ here:

https://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2024/05/16/nashville-airport-bna-terminal-flights-expansion.html
 

[markhollin]

Interesting...

Currently, a runway separates the existing terminal with Site 4. In all likelihood, the runway would be closed and decommissioned to more easily link the two terminals, Kreulen said.

That is the runway that causes all the flight path issues for height restrictions above 750' in the central core.   So, if that runway is eliminated during the construction of Terminal II, it would seem that those FAA restrictions will no longer apply from that point onward.  

[MLBrumby]

1 hour ago, markhollin said:

Interesting...

Currently, a runway separates the existing terminal with Site 4. In all likelihood, the runway would be closed and decommissioned to more easily link the two terminals, Kreulen said.

That is the runway that causes all the flight path issues for height restrictions above 750' in the central core.   So, if that runway is eliminated during the construction of Terminal II, it would seem that those FAA restrictions will no longer apply from that point onward.  

I like that site even more now. Perhaps, that’s why they did not choose site 1, as it may be the location of a future runway. 

Edited May 17 by MLBrumby

[nashville born]

11 hours ago, markhollin said:

Interesting...

Currently, a runway separates the existing terminal with Site 4. In all likelihood, the runway would be closed and decommissioned to more easily link the two terminals, Kreulen said.

That is the runway that causes all the flight path issues for height restrictions above 750' in the central core.   So, if that runway is eliminated during the construction of Terminal II, it would seem that those FAA restrictions will no longer apply from that point onward.  

Had the exact same thought when I read it.  @Luvemtall

Edited May 17 by nashville born

[nashscan]

13 minutes ago, nashville born said:

Had the exact same thought when I read it.  @Luvemtall

Airport wants to cheap out again and have buses linking them?   Better to have frequent underground autonomous shuttles.  Or at least something like Orlando and Tampa have.  

[Luvemtall]

20 minutes ago, nashville born said:

Had the exact same thought when I read it.  @Luvemtall

I hear what you’re saying, one can only hope! Keep on dreaming my friend. 

[Luvemtall]

Close that runway, bring it on

[smeagolsfree]

Here is a screen shot from the development map of the runway. This would be a gamechanger for downtown with the runway eliminated.

 

 

[Sean blackdog]

Today this morning from Instagram Sky5.

[markhollin]

Concourse D extension update:

[nashville born]

Perhaps I need a human body in the picture for more accurate scale.  As is, seems pretty narrow.

[downtownresident]

22 minutes ago, nashville born said:

Perhaps I need a human body in the picture for more accurate scale.  As is, seems pretty narrow.

This section will be pretty narrow, as it has to fit around the new Central Utility Plant(I believe), the new gates will be in a wider section beyond this connecting section. 

Edited May 24 by downtownresident