Montrose, COLO.—After seven years of airport master plan meetings, the Montrose Board of County Commissioners signed a $33 million airport terminal expansion agreement to provide much needed space for growth at the airport. On the same agenda, the board also signed a grant agreement with the Federal Aviation Administration for approximately $12.2 million.
“This is exciting news for Montrose Regional Airport and the entire region,” said Aviation Director Lloyd Arnold. “The addition of Southwest Airlines in 2020 has only added to the growth that we have been experiencing. I am grateful to the Commissioners for their support and visionary approach to this project. This terminal expansion will help serve Montrose County for several years to come. I’d also like to recognize Colorado Flights Alliance for their contribution to our airport and the entire Western Slope of Colorado.”
Montrose Regional Airport’s growth has been outpacing projections and is on track to set a new record for total travelers this year. Following decreased travelers during the pandemic, the airport is recovering in a big way—enplanements in April, May, June, July and August have set new highs. From 2015-2018, Montrose Regional Airport was the fastest growing airport for commercial airline passenger activity according to the Colorado Department of Transportation’s Division of Aeronautics Annual Report.
“The airport is one of the largest economic contributors in Montrose County,” said Commissioner Roger Rash. “I am incredibly proud of the work of both county and airport staff over the past several years to put this project together. This project has been discussed and presented at countless public meetings and done so in a transparent and open process. This expansion will be a great addition to the airport and cements Montrose Regional Airport as a western slope hub.”
As part of the master plan process, MTJ produced a schematic design with Jacobs Engineering to obtain construction quantities, this provided a reference for terminal expansion costs, they then moved to a full design to narrow down costs and specifics. The official contract with FCI Constructors Inc., was awarded in the amount of $33,131,241.45 for 30,000 square feet of new indoor and outdoor terminal construction, 8,000 square feet of terminal renovation, parking lot reconstruction, Ground Service Equipment parking and associated utilities.
The county had budgeted $10 million for the airport expansion in this year’s budget, and is currently working on projections for 2022. The Federal Aviation Administration is supporting this project with a $12,265,724 grant from the Airport Improvement Fund. The remainder of the funds will be secured through debt issuance for the airport.
To view renderings from the new terminal design, please visit: flymontrose.com/DocumentCenter/View/392/MTJ-Projects-Layout-and-Terminal-Renderings.
At this time, airport and county staff will meet with FCI Constructors next week to set a construction time line, which is estimated to take two years to complete. The airport will remain fully operational during the renovation. For more information, please visit flymontrose.com.