Community leaders today (on Wednesday) celebrated groundbreaking on a $20 million overhaul of the South Bend International Airport’s front drive.
The airport served a record 1.1 million people last year, a 23% increase from the prior year. Yet its small size, compared to Chicago’s O’Hare and Midway airports, make it appealing for a growing number of Michiana travelers.
To ensure the county-owned airport remains so relatively easy to use, officials are revamping the front drive and entrances, and they held a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday, a year after announcing the project.
“SBN is the first and the last place that many of the visitors to our county and our area see," said Airport Authority Vice-President Andy Kostielney. "This is especially important because we are seeing record number of passengers and people visiting our airport than ever before.”
The project will add a commercial transportation lane for taxis, rideshare and buses. Raised crosswalks will be added and canopies will cover the first two lanes to shelter people from the elements.
The work is expected to take 18 months.
