Travelers passing through Tampa International Airport’s Airsides A and E may not be able to see the changes to their security screening checkpoints up close just yet, but the new spaces are literally just around the corner.
The simultaneous expansion project to add almost 20,000 feet to each checkpoint is running full speed ahead, with the framework for both additions now visible at each building – especially when taking the shuttle from the Main Terminal.
Work on structural steel supports and roofing is ongoing while crews run mechanical, electrical and plumbing lines inside the buildings. Sheathing and walls will start going up in August, with an eye on making the checkpoints weather-tight by September.
When complete, the project will expand the existing checkpoints from six to seven security lanes, with vastly larger queueing and screening space. Both Airsides A and E were designed and built prior to the creation of the Transportation Security Administration, and are in need of more room to process passengers.
The project is on schedule to open both checkpoints to the public in February 2025, with work slated to be completely done by early Summer.