BWI Construction Management Services

Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall (BWI) Airport

Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall (BWI) Airport opened in 1950 under the name Friendship International Airport. Dedicated by Harry S Truman, it was named after the Friendship Church that previously occupied the site. With its wide, long runways and excellent approaches, the airport became a regional favorite for jet traffic.

The airport was renamed Baltimore/Washington International in 1972 when the State of Maryland purchased it from the City of Baltimore, reflecting its role as the transportation center of the region. The Maryland Aviation Administration began a modernization and improvement plan shortly thereafter, and BWI has been growing ever since. Parsons began its first contract at BWI in 1975 and has subsequently managed more than three decades of expansion, competitively bidding and winning more than 20 consecutive contracts.

Parsons Manages Over Three Decades of Expansion

Our construction management and inspection services provide technical expertise on behalf of the Maryland Aviation Administration to deliver projects on time and within budget: inspecting construction, controlling schedules and costs, providing coordination and communication, administering construction contracts, and ensuring compliance with federal and state regulations.

From 1975 to 1979, Parsons managed expansion projects that included a new terminal building, upper and lower level roadways, and the addition of three piers (B, C, and D) that radiated from the main terminal building. The two ends of the terminal (called Piers A and E) were enlarged to accommodate several departure gates. One of these ends (Pier E) served international flights.

Long runways and excellent approaches made BWI a regional favorite for jet traffic.  

When Piedmont Airlines selected BWI for a hub facility in 1983, Parsons delivered a new 12-gate Pier D expansion project in just 10 months to accommodate the airline’s needs. A design-build approach was used to meet the fast-track schedule. As Piedmont’s operation grew, we helped to further expand Pier D (renamed Pier D/Y because of its new shape) in 1987 and 1988, building eight regular departure gates and a 17-gate commuter terminal with associated taxiway improvements.

For the airport’s 1986 master plan, Parsons had a planning contract and recommended modifications to the runways and taxiways to maximize existing infrastructure. One of the recommendations was to widen and lengthen the general aviation runway used by private aircraft and open it to commercial commuter flights, which allowed the airport to postpone construction of a new commercial runway. Under our construction management contract, we then managed construction of the runway upgrade.

As passenger growth continued in the 1990s, more improvements were undertaken to serve existing and future needs. We managed construction of an international terminal, a light rail station at the new international terminal, extension of the upper level roadway, and expansion of the parking garage in front of the terminal, which opened in 1997. The international terminal included British Airways, Air Jamaica, Air Canada, Iceland Air, and military flights by Air Mobility Command. Recently BWI added additional international air carriers including Air Greenland service—the only direct flight from North America.

Southwest Airlines started operations at BWI in 1993 and Parsons helped construct six gates for them by extending Pier C. More gates were needed as their flights increased, and Pier B was extended in 2000.

The Next Wave of Improvements

The next wave of improvements began in 2000 with an $800 million program to improve the incoming and outgoing roadway system, create a new 8,400-space daily parking garage, construct a new consolidated rental car facility, build three sky-bridges connecting the terminal and the hourly garage, and give the terminal a facelift with a new glass curtain wall, new tile and terrazzo floors, and more moving walkways.

While Parsons provided construction management for most of the construction at BWI, we assumed the role of program manager for the 8,400-space daily garage and the consolidated car rental and associated facilities. For these projects, we shared office space with the other construction management teams to facilitate communication, and we ensured consistent application of policies, procedures, and controls across all contracts.

The consolidated rental car facility opened in 2003; it includes operations for eight rental car companies. In addition to providing increased capacity, the consolidated rental car operation streamlines traffic at the airport and reduces passenger wait times.

The new 8,400-space daily parking garage was completed in 2004 and incorporates “smart parking” technology that makes it easier and faster to find a parking space. Sensors over each parking space monitor availability and an automated guidance system directs arriving vehicles to an open space.

In 2005, we completed the first phase of an expansion that created a 26-gate terminal for Southwest Airlines. Phase I encompassed the demolition and rebuilding of Concourse A (previously called Pier A). Phase 2, completed in 2006, included demolishing and rebuilding Concourse B (previously called Pier B) and connecting it to Concourse A. This expanded terminal A/B provides in-line baggage screening and additional passenger screening checkpoints to expedite security procedures, new ticket counters, a new food court, and support functions.

At the same time, Parsons was hired independently by Southwest Airlines to provide quality assurance for an operational upgrade at the new terminal that they financed themselves: an underground fuel hydrant system to speed their refueling process. The hydrant system makes fuel immediately available to planes from an underground pipe system, which eliminates the need for refueling trucks for Southwest’s operations. The new fuel hydrant system also reduces apron traffic.

The various terminal expansions at BWI have also required upgrades of the central utility plant that provides the heating/cooling for the airport. Each upgrade is a project on its own, adding boilers, chillers, cooling towers, pumps and other associated elements. Parsons managed several expansion projects of the utility plant, including the long underground pipes that carry high-temperature hot water and chilled water to the terminal.

Special Considerations Required

Airport construction requires special considerations because it occurs in the midst of ongoing airport operations. Close communication and coordination with all aspects of airport operations are essential. Part of our challenge is to determine the safe routes for vehicular, pedestrian, aircraft, airline tug, and airline service vehicle traffic through the construction areas. And when a critical facility is closed temporarily for construction work, it is essential that it open at the predicted time.

In October 2006, BWI celebrated completion of the construction program that started in 2000. Our ongoing tasks include upgrading taxiways, repairing pavement between concourses, strengthening the space frame of the old terminal, and making significant repairs to one of the major runways.

Airports require different infrastructure depending on the type of flights they accommodate. Our work at BWI has encompassed them all. Parsons has managed construction of arrival and departure facilities such as parking and roadways for origination and destination flights; appropriate runways, taxiways, and terminal capacity for airline hub operations and their multiple flights in short time periods; and major runways for long-haul jet flights. As the Maryland Aviation Administration has directed BWI’s growth into a world-class facility, Parsons has provided the expertise to make it happen.