A ‘topping out’ ceremony was held on the 27th January 2016 to mark a key milestone in the construction of Bristol Airport’s west terminal extension. The celebration – a longstanding tradition in the construction industry – followed the completion of the steelwork for the £24 million structure.
To mark the occasion guests from the design team, (architects, structural engineers, M&E engineers) and main contractor, Balfour Beatty, joined Bristol Airport’s Chief Executive Officer and senior management team to view the extension’s highest point.
The west terminal extension is Bristol Airport’s single biggest investment project since the terminal building opened in March 2000. Once completed later this year it will transform the security search process for passengers, as well as creating an enlarged baggage reclaim area, customs facilities, arrivals retail, and meet and greet area.
The new security search facility will house 10 customer channels, a dedicated Fast Track zone, an enlarged area in which customers can prepare for search in a more comfortable and relaxed environment, and significantly longer 21 metre security lanes. The combination of design, space and new technology is expected to deliver an industry-leading passenger experience.
The 9,000 square metre facility will be opened in three phases following a 14 month construction build, involving over 200 people working on site. Phase one will open in summer 2016, closely followed by phase two and three, with the entire project completed before the end of 2016.