Construction begins on airport’s baggage claim area – The Lawton Constitution

Construction has begun on a $3.8 million project that will create a new baggage claim area for Lawton-Fort Sill Regional Airport.

The construction of a carousel-style baggage claim system similar to those seen in many other airports across the country is the first of three phases of construction that are calculated to modernize the airport terminal. This construction phase, awarded to Jet Commercial Construction in 2019, also will include upgrades in the general area of the terminal (non-passenger areas) and construction of a temporary secured holding area, which will operate as the holding area for passengers who have been screened but not yet boarded aircraft until the permanent holding area is built.

Airport Director Barbara McNally said crews with Jet Commercial Construction have erected wall barriers, which are keeping passengers out of the work area on the south end of the terminal. The walls designate a hard hat area, where construction will be under way for months, she said.

In the meantime, American Eagle has opened a baggage claim area on the north end of the terminal, in the ticketing area at what was the ASA/Delta ticket counter. That area had a conveyor belt for what had been checked luggage by ASA passengers, which has been reversed to allow luggage unloaded from the aircraft to be delivered inside.

Its an easier location to keep people out of the (construction) area, McNally said.

To compensate for the hardhat construction area, the airport also made minor changes in the entrance of the airports restaurant so it can continue to operate.

The project will replace what had been a series of garage doors that baggage handlers raised to place checked bags on small inside ramps. The system was crowded, as well as inefficient: the doors opened directly outside, making climate control difficult inside the terminal. The new system will be a traditional flat carousel which will allow baggage to be unloaded outside from a covered baggage cart area, then carried indoors, where doors will be opened for retrieval by passengers.

Contractors in this phase also will build out the back of the terminal to provide space for the temporary secured passenger holding area. That site will become operational during the next construction phase, when the existing secured passenger holding area will be closed and demolished, then replaced with space that will hold twice as many passengers. Once the new holding site becomes operational, the temporary site will be converted to other use, McNally said.

Other work will begin modernization of the non-passenger side of the terminal, to include removing some support pillars to provide more open space (the roof will be reinforced, airport officials said).

As construction on the baggage claim area is ramping up, another long-term airport project has ended: construction of a new Fire Station No. 2 on Bishop Road.

The ARFF (air rescue and firefighting building) is done, McNally said, adding the punch list of last-minute problems is done and the facility has been turned over to Lawton Fire Department.

While Station No. 2 is home to the specially trained firefighters who respond to aviation-related emergencies at the airport, its crews also respond to emergencies in south Lawton and the dual-use station is part of Lawton Fire Department.

McNally said Lawton fire administrators are deciding when the station will open, through a process that will move firefighters from the existing station to the new one. The airport will sponsor a ground-breaking ceremony for the structure.

They wanted to wait until the firefighters moved over to it, McNally said.

The new facility is immediately west of the old station. In January, two major projects were left for completion: a trench for a hot line or the hardware that links the fire station to the airports tower and completion of software for the security fencing; and installation of a commercial grade hood for the kitchens oven.

The $3.9 million station is one of two new fire stations that will open this year. This spring, the firefighting crews of downtowns Central Fire Station will move to the new public safety facility being built south of East Gore Boulevard, between Larrance and Railroad streets.

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Construction begins on airport's baggage claim area - The Lawton Constitution