Pittsburgh International Airport — Roads & Bridges
Pittsburgh, PA
| Location: | Pittsburgh, PA |
| Owner: | Allegheny County Airport Authority (ACAA) |
| Construction Company: | Fay, S&B USA Construction |
| Project Status: | Completed in June 2026 |
Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) first opened in 1992. At the time, it was built for an airline that no longer exists and reflected PIT’s needs when it was still a hub. The $1.4 billion Terminal Modernization Program (TMP) was born out of the desire to modernize PIT’s infrastructure to better suit an evolving industry and the people who call Pittsburgh home. The modern traveler doesn’t connect through Pittsburgh; now, most passengers begin and end their journeys at Pittsburgh, which is demonstrated in the TMP’s design.
This project strove to reflect, connect, and serve the Pittsburgh community and transform the air travel experience. Due to the project’s size, Allegheny County Airport Authority (ACAA) broke the work into three contracts: a new 811,000 sf terminal building; a 3,300-vehicle parking garage; and four miles of roads, bridges, and site work. Fay, S&B USA Construction (Fay) was awarded the roads and bridges package. Fay’s package covered approximately four miles of roadway connecting I-376 and the new terminal building through a system of ramps and five bridges—the highlight of which was a 1,300 ft dual-level bridge that led directly to the terminal.
This project strove to reflect, connect, and serve the Pittsburgh community and transform the air travel experience. Due to the project’s size, Allegheny County Airport Authority (ACAA) broke the work into three contracts: a new 811,000 sf terminal building; a 3,300-vehicle parking garage; and four miles of roads, bridges, and site work. Fay, S&B USA Construction (Fay) was awarded the roads and bridges package. Fay’s package covered approximately four miles of roadway connecting I-376 and the new terminal building through a system of ramps and five bridges—the highlight of which was a 1,300 ft dual-level bridge that led directly to the terminal.
Follow the Roads [and Bridges] to a Modern Airport Experience
Fay’s $202.3 million package included the construction of new roadways, bridges, culverts, retaining walls, drainage, utilities, traffic control and earthwork. The highlight of the project was the 1,300 ft dual-level bridge that led to the terminal; the top is for departures, the second level for arrivals, and the ground level for rideshares, taxis and buses.
Construction
Fay began the construction portion of work with site preparation. Over the course of the project, a total of 160,000 cy of excavation and 360,000 cy of embankment were completed, and over 7,000 ft of reinforced concrete pipe was installed throughout the project area.Additionally, 12 mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) retaining walls were built to feed into both the north and south ends of the terminal bridge. Each individual pre-cast concrete panel features one of 21 unique designs created in conjunction with two large-scale public artists with the intention of supporting the airport’s “nature, technology and community” design vision. The piece is titled “Cross Currents,” and it was inspired by the importance of rivers to the Pittsburgh region. These walls come together to form a pulse pattern created by architectural form liners on the bridge.
Fay’s crowning structure was a 1,300 ft dual-level bridge for arriving and departing travelers that connects directly to the new terminal. Ten sets of piers were erected to support the structure, and 68 tub girders were then shipped in from a specialty supplier in Tampa, FL. The entire structure consists of 8,000,000 lbs of structural steel. Once the steel was set, Fay poured both bridge decks, completing the structure in full during September 2023. Four miles of roadway were also constructed, which connects I-376 to the new terminal building through a system of four smaller bridges and feeds into ramps that align them with the new terminal bridge. By December 2024, all new roads and bridges were paved and drivable, and the new terminal opened to the public in November 2025.
During construction, Fay worked directly with ACAA to coordinate lane restrictions and closures on active roadways around the airport when necessary. The ACAA then relayed any impacts encountered to media outlets in order to make sure the traveling public was aware of any changes. Additionally, when Fay’s construction impacted the main entranceway, night shifts were scheduled to avoid traffic impacts. However, a majority of Fay’s portion of this project was located away from the existing roadways of the landside of Pittsburgh International Airport, thus allowing full functionality of the existing airport infrastructure for travelers.
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Construction phase view of the project’s biggest feature, dual-level bridges that now carries arriving and departing passengers from Pittsburgh International Airport’s new terminal. (Photo Credit: Pittsburgh International Airport)
Watch a “fly-through” video of Pittsburgh International Airport’s Terminal Modernization Program during the construction phase. (Credit: Pittsburgh International Airport)