Arriving passengers at the Northwest Regional Airport will soon have a new way of entering the main terminal building.
Bids close May 20 on what’s called a mantrap, a more controlled way to direct passengers into the luggage area.
Right now arriving passengers enter a door to a covered corridor and to prevent them from straying to the left toward the departure gates, are then directed to the right before entering the arrivals area to await their luggage.
But the mantrap is such that there will be a barrier on the left so that passengers will automatically turn to the right.
But the huge advantage to arriving passengers will be two pedestrian lanes with matching doors providing a more efficient way of entering the terminal building, says airport development manager Dave Kumpolt.
“Two lanes will be much quicker,” he said of what will be constructed.
Interested contractors are at a mandatory site meeting on April 28 and bids close May 20.
The expectation is that work will be completed this October.
But COVID and supply chain issues could affected scheduling, Kumpolt said.
This project aside, Kumpolt said the airport is to embark upon a round of master planning to sketch out needs and requirements.
It was a previous master plan that laid out the groundwork for an extensive construction project of more than $18 million four years ago which provided a larger and more comfortable check in, screening and departure area.