Updates
October 2007 – Less than Four Months
As we can all see, the work is going very well. For all intents and purposes, the east platform is finished. After the first base layer, the final asphalt layer is finished. At the perimeter of the platform, they have erected a jet-blast barrier. This wall will direct the blast from the planes’ engines upward so as not to disturb pedestrians walking along the sidewalk just behind it. The most observant people will have noticed the horizontal grooves in this steel wall. These grooves help deflect the blast from the planes.
The new loading bridges should arrive in early November. The installation is expected to take a week. Operator training will take place later, on a date closer to the opening date.
Beside the terminal, the installation of the curtain wall on the west side is finished and the one on the east side is being finalized. This installation followed the erection of the vertical wooden beams that will lend an attractive appearance and provide bit more warmth to this new boarding lounge. Inside, they have started installing the porcelain tiles on the floor. Unlike most of the activities that go from south to north, the tile installation started at the north and continues south. The reason for this tactic is to facilitate the leveling of the floor in the new wing based on the existing floor in the current terminal. As for the carpet, it will not be installed until the last few days before opening.
The opening date of the new wing is now scheduled for late February or very early March. Until that date, there still remains the finishing work and training of all those who will work there.