Salt Lake City, Utah — 10,000-steps-a-day aficionados are fuming right now because their walks to Concourse B just got a lot shorter.
Yesterday, the Salt Lake City International Airport opened phase 3 of its development. This phase includes a new tunnel, the Concourse B Plaza, 12 concessions, four new art pieces, and five new Delta gates.
This grand opening included the debut of the Central Tunnel. The tunnel features an art piece by Gordon Huether. Called “The River Tunnel,” which encapsulates the rivers and streams that flow through Utah.
While modern and spacious, the core criticism of the new airport is the mid-concourse tunnel connecting Concourse A and B. When guests who had their flights situated at the B gates got through security, they had to walk an extended portion of Concourse A to reach the Tunnel. Then, they had to walk through a .25-mile-long tunnel and a few steps more to their final destination. With this central tunnel, reaching the B terminal has now become much easier.
However, both tunnels are .25 miles long. A train is planned to connect Concourse A and B, along with any future expansions. A timeline for those improvements has yet to be established, as it depends on whether there is demand for more flights to SLC.
“With today’s opening of Phase 3 we have reached an extraordinary milestone in The New SLC Redevelopment Program,” said Bill Wyatt, who’s the executive director of Salt Lake City Department of Airports. “We have built an airport that is convenient, inspiring, flexible, sustainable and provides our passengers with a first-class experience.”
The biggest surprise of the grand opening was the introduction of Ally, the remnants of an Allosaurus fragilis dinosaur. Utah has become known as one of the top places on the planet for fossil discovery, as demonstrated by the must visit National History Museum of Utah. The Saving The World map, which was featured at the old SLC airport, also made its debut.
Phase 4, which will debut in late 2025 and 2026, will feature more gates, concessions, and shops. An American Express Centurion® Lounge is also scheduled to open in 2025.
The infamous Mid-Concourse Tunnel, which opened with the Airport in 2020, will remain open to the public.
Image/Video Credits: Salt Lake City International Airport, Natural History Museum Of Utah