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July 14, 2022
It will cost more than budgeted, but Sioux Falls Regional Airport will begin construction this fall on a new four-story parking ramp and skywalk connecting the terminal.
The Sioux Falls Airport Authority approved the $62.6 million project at its last meeting.
“We’ve done a lot of analysis for this funding and funding,” said executive director Dan Letellier. At first we were hoping to do it without borrowing money, but this time, we might take out a short-term loan to cover some of the cost.
A four-story post-tensioned concrete ramp will add nearly 1,000 parking spaces to the airport, and is designed to widen at both ends.
That’s the amount needed to handle the projected demand for 10 to 12 years, Letellier says.
“The parking garage itself was thoroughly investigated,” he said.
Skyway was suggested during the design process and caused a lot of excitement for many reasons, he continued.
“Trying to get people off the road as much as you can to reduce safety, traffic, parking traffic and … customer inconvenience. So you can literally fly from Sioux Falls in your flip flops and shorts and not worry about getting in a sled to get to your car.
Although the price was higher than originally expected and the Skywalk was an optional extra, “the board felt we were taking this big leap, and we weren’t going to have buyer’s remorse the day we opened and the day we wanted it.” He made it,” said Letellier. “You’ll probably pay as much or more to get back on track, so in the end they decide to move forward with both.”
Henry Carlson Construction is the contractor for the project. Some pre-construction work will be done this fall, ramping will begin in the spring and be completed by October 2024. The front entrance will be closed for at least 10 months from next winter and the main toilets will not be available because of the structural strengthening that needs to be done.
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