EUGENE, Ore. (AP) - The Eugene Airport has completed a $19 million renovation project intended to reduce the time it takes travelers to get through security.
The renovation included moving the passenger screening station from the center of the terminal lobby, The Register-Guard reported (https://bit.ly/2iXBT2W) in a story on Monday.
Wait times to get through security during the busiest times of the day could be as long as 45 minutes before the renovation, Airport Director Tim Doll said. “Now, with the renovations, we expect the longest waits to be about 15 minutes,” he said.
The renovation also included two new baggage claim carousels, new escalators and elevators. Nearly 13,000 square feet of interior space was added, and about 20,000 square feet of the existing terminal was remodeled.
Before the renovation, the screening station was relatively small and allowed only a few passengers at a time to get their shoes and other belongings after getting through the checkpoint. That caused lines to back up, officials said.
A new 900-square-foot area operated by the Transportation Security Administration gives passengers more room to “to pick up their belongings and get out of the way of the (screening) process,” Doll said.
Moving the security check meant taking out an escalator, staircase and elevators. Those were replaced at a cost of $465,000 in another location.
Frequent air traveler Matt Hogan, who is on the airport advisory board, said moving the screening station to a less prominent area improved the building’s interior.
“When an airport presents its security out front, it sends the wrong message,” he said. “It seems like you are entering an unwelcoming place. Having security in its own space is not only more efficient, it shows off the beauty of the building.”
The city of Eugene owns the airport. The renovation was paid for with federal grants, fees from five airlines that serve Eugene, and other revenue such as parking fees and concession rentals.
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Information from: The Register-Guard, https://www.registerguard.com
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