Charleston International Airport will soon see several improvements, including a major concourse expansion, a new parking garage and a new connector to alleviate traffic congestion along International Boulevard.
The new concourse, dubbed the West Gate expansion, is part of a 20-year master plan for the airport to handle higher traffic volume over the next decade. It was first planned as a temporary modular structure with five gates. The plan, however, shifted, as officials determined they could build their own facility faster than they could bring in a modular one, “and it will be a hell of a lot nicer,” said airport Executive Director and CEO Elliott Summey.
“The Charleston airport is a microcosm of what the entire Lowcountry is going through right now,” he said. “In our growth, we have to make sure we don’t lose what makes us special. We have the cleanest, safest, most convenient airport in the country. To keep that, we need more infrastructure…