Transportation

Charlotte Douglas International Airport Terminal Lobby Expansion

Charlotte Douglas International Airport terminal, Charlotte, Mecklenburg County


Completed or operational

Verified Project Information

Summary

Charlotte Douglas International Airport's Terminal Lobby Expansion added 175,000 square feet, renovated 191,000 square feet, modernized passenger-processing areas, and improved terminal circulation and curbside access.

Current stage: Completed or operational.

Key Facts

Estimated Cost

$608.00 million

as of 2025-09-17

Latest Progress

2025-09-17: CLT celebrated completion of the Terminal Lobby Expansion after six phases of construction. The project added 175,000 square feet, renovated 191,000 square feet, and had a documented cost of $608 million.

Project Leaders

City of Charlotte
Project owner, Project sponsor

Project Funding

Funding type: Public · Status: Allocated

City of Charlotte: $608.00 million (2025)

Timeline

  1. Terminal Lobby Expansion reaches completion

    CLT celebrated completion of the Terminal Lobby Expansion after six phases of construction. The project added 175,000 square feet, renovated 191,000 square feet, and had a documented cost of $608 million.

    Stage after event: Completed or operational
  2. Final checkpoint opens

    The final checkpoint opened, completing the project's consolidation from five lettered checkpoints to three numbered checkpoints with 21 lanes.

    Stage after event: Under construction
  3. Roadway canopy completed

    CLT completed the 146,000-square-foot roadway canopy that shelters passengers at the terminal curb front.

    Stage after event: Under construction
  4. Terminal skybridges open

    Two pedestrian skybridges opened, connecting the terminal mezzanine with the Hourly Deck and improving protected circulation between parking and the terminal.

    Stage after event: Under construction
  5. Queen Charlotte statue unveiled

    The restored Queen Charlotte statue was unveiled in the expanded lobby's Queens Court.

    Stage after event: Under construction
  6. West ticket counters debut

    West-side ticket counters opened as the Terminal Lobby Expansion progressed through its phased construction plan.

    Stage after event: Under construction
  7. First subterranean walkway opens

    The first subterranean walkway and the west side of the expanded lobby opened as an early project phase.

    Stage after event: Under construction
  8. Terminal Lobby Expansion construction begins

    CLT held the ceremonial groundbreaking on December 10, 2019, with construction beginning after the holiday season.

    Stage after event: Under construction
  9. City Council approves construction contract

    Charlotte City Council approved the Terminal Lobby Expansion construction contract. CLT later identified Holder-Edison Foard-Leeper Joint Venture as the contractor.

    Stage after event: Contract awarded
  10. Early Terminal Lobby Expansion planning begins

    CLT reports that planning for the Terminal Lobby Expansion began in 2008 as part of the airport's long-term effort to modernize passenger facilities.

    Stage after event: Planning or feasibility

Geography

Project site / location

  • Charlotte, NC
  • Mecklenburg County, NC

Affected / impact geography

  • Charlotte, NC
  • Mecklenburg County, NC

Map

ExactApproximate

Solid geometry is exact. Dotted geometry and dotted-outline markers are approximate. Multiple markers may show independently verified locations; they are not connected and do not establish a route or alignment.