Ready to fly

Minot International Airport’s expanded terminal takes shape

BY MARNIE LAHTINEN

Development in North Dakota’s Bakken shale fields has placed strains on public infrastructure across the western part of the state, and the Minot International Airport is no exception. The existing terminal building was built in 1991 to process 100,000 enplaned passengers per year. In 2014 a whopping 453,750 passengers passed through the Minot airport. This dramatic traffic increase is the reason that a new terminal building is under construction with an estimated project completion of January 2016.

“In 2011, because of rapid enplanement growth, it was determined a new terminal building would be needed,” says airport director Andrew Solsvig. “City leadership identified the urgency of this project and immediately approved design work for the new terminal building.” Several fast-tracked studies were com- missioned to define the project’s requirements, an approved growth forecast and a financial plan. Federal and state grants enabled groundwork to begin in fall 2013 and structural construction began in spring 2014.

The terminal project plan was estimated to cost around $41 million and, to date, project change orders have been kept under three percent. Funding came from North Dakota’s State Oil and Gas Impact Grant Fund, the Federal Aviation Administration and through the City of Minot’s airport revenue bonds.

Project planners recognized that the construction of the new terminal was dependent upon the completion of other projects, such as the relocation of a snow removal equipment building, reconstruction of taxiways and the addition of more parking lots. These related projects added an approximate $46.3 million to overall terminal construction costs. “In total, over $91 million in capital infrastructure projects will have been expended in a short four-year period,” Solsvig says. “This is a tremendous challenge and accomplishment to everyone involved.”

Denver-based architectural firm CooverClark designed the new 126,000-square-foot terminal building. The structure will feature six gates with enough room to support additional airlines as needed. And unlike the current building, the new terminal will have the ability to process multiple flights simultaneously while providing support for a variety of aircraft types spanning from regional jets to Boeing 757 airliners, according to Solsvig.

“We have created a design that is unique to the region and is expressive to both Minot [and] the state of North Dakota,” says Edward Balkin, director of design at CooverClark. The firm incorporated trestle features throughout the terminal design to resemble the Gassman Coulee trestle bridge located just outside of Minot. “This trestle brought commerce, trade, and dollars to the region in 1887, and was in large part a reason for its overnight growth in the late 1800’s,” Balkin says. “This trestle [bridge] still stands today and still accommodates rail traffic across the state … these truss-like forms are represented throughout the building, bringing a strong connection to the history here.”

CooverClark also integrated energy efficient elements into the design, including heated slabs in the lobby and baggage areas and a variety of glass colors and window applications to protect interiors from solar glare and harsh North Dakota temperatures.

Bismarck-based KLJ engineered the project and Eagan, Minn.-based Graham Construction is serving as the general contractor. Rick Skumavc, project manager for Graham Construction, says the projected 27-month construction undertaking is on schedule. “Coordination and weather are the biggest challenges that we face daily,” Skumavc says. “Over 350 safety orientations have been conducted to date … and [we’re dealing with] one million pounds of structural steel, 12 different types of glass and 17 different roofs (standing seam and ethylene propylene diene terpolymer).”

The logistical requirements to manage a handful of projects within one quarter-mile of each other have been both numerous and challenging. A project of this scope creates coordination and communication hurdles, Solsvig says. He antici- pates the terminal will be mostly complete by the end of December 2015 or early January 2016 barring any “major hiccups.”

Solsvig says the development of a terminal transition plan will be absolutely key to switching from one operation to the other when the time comes to relocate to the new terminal. “Communication and expediency is of utmost importance,” he says. “Everyone is putting in the time and dedication needed to keep things moving forward as quickly as able.” PB

Marnie Lahtinen Contributing writer MarnieLahtinen@gmail.com

DCN’s North Dakota Fiber Optic Network

PROJECT LEADS:

Architect: CooverClark

Engineer: KLJ

General Contractor: Graham Construction

OTHER PLAYERS:

Ackerman Surveying & Associates Inc.

Material Testing

Bechtold Paving Inc.

Fargo Glass & Paint Company

Johnson Controls Inc. Fargo

LS Drywall, Inc.

Main Electric Construction Inc.

Mowbray & Son Inc.

Overhead Door Company of Minot

Pederson Painting, Inc.

Professional Concrete Services Inc.

Stripe Right Inc. Midwest

SVR

Target Roofing

Tollefson’s Contract Division

Total Fire Protection Inc.

Trim Tec

KLJ has operations in 23 different locations employing over 750 professionals. With KLJ’s significant growth, reliable network connectivity is a priority. DCN’s services give KLJ the capability to directly collaborate between offices via their Ethernet connections utilizing DCN’s fiber network

“DCN has proven to be a trusted advisor by providing quality service and expertise for our corporate technology needs for more than 10 years,” said Kenneth Redinger.